Media coverage of US President Donald Trump's Decision to Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem: Iraqi International TV as a Model

This study examines the role of traditional media—specifically television—in shaping public understanding of political developments, with a focus on Al-Iraqiya Satellite Channel’s coverage of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem. The research investigates how Arab satellite media report on politically sensitive events and explores the broader function of traditional media in framing political news. Guided by agenda-setting theory, the study adopted a descriptive research design and employed content analysis to evaluate selected broadcasts from Al-Iraqiya. The analysis aimed to identify the framing strategies used, assess the editorial prioritization of the event, and determine the dominant news formats employed. Findings revealed that Al-Iraqiya classified the embassy relocation as international political news and allocated 14.5% of its total news airtime to the topic, reflecting a moderate editorial priority. The event ranked relatively low compared to other news stories. Coverage relied predominantly on local and Arab political figures as sources, with no engagement from new media platforms, indicating limited source diversity. Overall, political news held a prominent editorial role within the channel’s programming. The study highlights the continued influence of traditional media in promoting political awareness and underscores the importance of Jerusalem as a focal point in Arab political discourse.