Polarization, Social Responsibility Journalism, and Collective Memory Discourse: The Case of Tisha B’Av 2023 Broadcasts

Recent studies have explored how social responsibility journalism can serve as an antidote to polarization. This study builds upon mediatized collective memory scholarship to examine how social responsibility journalism can seize upon memorial days as opportunities to employ deliberative principles as guidelines for advancing social norms that counter polarization. Media discourse on Tisha B'Av provides a useful case study, as it is a national memorial day marking historical disasters that befell the Jewish people, attributed primarily to deep internal polarization and "baseless hatred," a concept comparable to affective polarization. Thematic analysis of radio broadcasts reveals that journalists utilized collective memory scripts to point out the relevancy of Tisha B'Av, to characterize current polarization trends, and to call for public and media action to alleviate polarization, while implicitly referencing deliberative democracy principles. However, deliberative democracy ideals remain at the level of rhetoric. The discussion calls for further research on ways by which social responsibility journalism can utilize collective memory opportunities to counter polarization.