About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


14 Int'l J. Soc. Sci. Stud. 1 (2026)

handle is hein.journals/ijsoctu14 and id is 1 raw text is: International Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 14, No. 1; March 2026 ISSN 2324-8033 E-ISSN 2324-8041 Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://ijsss.redfame.com Mediation Discourse in Moroccan Television: A Conversation Analytic Study of Interactional Practices in The Mediator TV Show Ilham Malki1 1 Assistant Professor, English Department, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Hassan II University, Casabblanca, Morocco Correspondence: Ilham MALKI, Assistant Professor, English Department, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Hassan II University, Casabblanca, Morocco. Received: October 27, 2025 Accepted: December 22, 2025 Available online: February 12, 2026 doi:10.11114/ijsss.vl4il.8479 URL: https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.vl4il.8479 Abstract This study investigates the interactional framework of mediation discourse in the Moroccan television program The Mediator. Drawing upon Conversation Analysis (CA) (Sacks, Schegloff, and Jefferson, 1974), and Goffman's (1981) concept of participation framework, the study examines how mechanisms of institutional discourse, more precisely the turn-taking system, participation statuses, and hybrid interactional framework, operate to handle interpersonal disputes. By conducting an in-depth analysis of selected episodes, the study probes into how the principal mediator, disputants, and co-mediators jointly reframe conflict narratives, oscillate between institutional and conversational speech exchange systems, and negotiate their positions within a media-regulated context. The findings of the study reveal how institutional discourse practices such as pre-allocated turns, structurally determined participation framework, and regulated dyadic interaction are strategically implemented to minimise discordance and uphold normative protocols of mediation and conflict resolution processes. The present study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of how the interactional framework of mediation functions as a discursive mechanism to mitigate confrontation and reframe contentious issues. It further addresses a critical gap in the literature by examining mediation and conflict resolution discourse within Arab and North African contexts, regions that have received limited attention in media and discourse research. Keywords: Conflict, mediation, discourse, institutional discourse, interaction, participation framework 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview of The Mediator as a Televised Conflict Resolution Platform The Mediator is a Moroccan televised show that handles real-life interpersonal conflicts and assists disputants to negotiate their interests and positions effectively through broadcast mediation. The show is modeled around a lead mediator, Nassima El Hor, and co-mediators, acting as field-specific experts, who invite disputants to a studio setting, listen to their concerns, and interpose to direct the dispute towards constructive management. As a hybrid show that merges legal, therapeutic, and entertainment genres, The Mediator exemplifies a wider trend in contemporary media that blears the boundaries between reality and performance. Such hybrid formats lay the groundwork for in-depth analysis of institutional discourse, particularly how conflict arises, is escalated, and de-escalated in mediated contexts. 1.2 Research Problem Despite the program's considerable popularity among Moroccan audiences and normative objectives of fostering social harmony and reconciliation, little academic interest has been directed to the discursive and interactional strategies that define the dynamics of mediation and conflict resolution. Much of the existing studies overlook the discursive tactics, leaving a considerable gap in academic understanding of how mediated conflict talk is discursively and interactionally handled in televised contexts (Hutchby, 2006; Thornborrow, 2010). Within the context of televised media talk, whereby mediation shows are no exception, interaction is far from neutral; rather, it functions within a thoroughly institutionalised and media-regulated discourse framework (Fairclough, 1995; Tolson, 2006; Hutchby, 2006). It is shaped by production routines (behind-the-scenes-procedures), interactional norms, and performance expectations that determine who speaks and when, how participants are positioned, and how moral 1