The Iraqi Political Affairs in Editorial Caricature A Semiological Study of Al-Sabah Newspaper

Abstract

Political Caricature are one of the journalistic arts utilized by media outlets - in various forms - to convey specific messages to the public, especially regarding political issues. They contain a wide range of implicit visual communication messages aimed at influencing the audience both intellectually and emotionally. This study aims to explore the main topics addressed in the political Caricature published in "Al-Sabah" newspaper concerning the Iraqi political scene during the study period. Additionally, it aims to identify the key symbols, icons, and visual messages employed in these Caricature, as well as the predominant artistic elements used. The study poses an important question: What is the contribution of political Caricature in analyzing the Iraqi political scene from 10th October 2021 to 10th December2021? The research falls under the descriptive research category, and the researcher adopts a semiotic approach to reveal the hidden meanings and messages conveyed in these Caricature. The study delves into the underlying connotations and symbols to determine the newspaper's orientations during the study period. To achieve this, Martin Jolly's approach to semiotic analysis using a comprehensive survey method was employed on (7) political Caricature dedicated to the Iraqi political scene.