The Art of Caricature in Syrian Daily Press: Analytical Study of Tishreen Newspaper

Abstract

The study aimed at identifying the use of caricature in addressing various issues and events in the Syrian newspaper “Tishreen”, through disclosing the nature of topics and contents covered by the caricatures. It also aimed at clarifying their tendencies, the form of their display, their geographical scope, and the means of furthering that the newspaper has employed in the caricatures.To achieve the objective of the study, the survey methodology has been followed, in which data was collected through a form of content analysis applied on + a sample chosen by applying the complete census approach over “Tishreen” issues published during the first quarter of 2020. The results showed that “Tishreen” has published all its caricatures, during  the study timeframe, solely on its internal pages, and was more inclined to publish caricatures accompanied by explanations and comments with a percentage of (81.8%). In addition, “Tishreen” has adopted caricatures that occupy large spaces and use colors with a percentage of (65.2%) of its total caricatures. In relation to the nature of the addressed topics, “Tishreen” has focused primarily on political or military topics, and most of the caricatures have featured subjects rather than people, with a percentage of 96.9%, where the opposition trend  dominating  the content of caricatures, with a percentage of (84.8%) Caricatures covering international geographical scope ranked first.The study recommends that “Tishreen” dedicates  first and last pages for caricatures display and uses colors more often as they better attract the reader and make caricatures more convenient and easier to understand and analyze Moreover, it recommends establishing a balance between the caricatures’ addressed topics; not  focusing on political or military topics only, as the region is rich with issues that relate to people’s concerns in the light of the existing economic and social crises. Furthermore , the study recommends expanding the scope of caricatures that deals with local or regional issues and giving international issues the attention they deserve.