Ideological Constructs and Discursive Strategies in Arab English-Language Online Newspapers: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Hikmet Khaleel Talib Al-Shibban
1
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Bahram Hadian
2
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Salih Mahdi Adai Al-Mamoory
3
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Atefesadat Mirsaeedi
4
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Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis, Ideology, Discursive Strategies, Arab Media, Conflict Framing,
Abstract :
This study explores the ideological perspectives and discursive strategies employed by Arab English-language online newspapers in representing the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Utilizing Fairclough's three-dimensional framework, the research analyzes media articles, highlighting their ideological underpinnings, framing mechanisms, and rhetorical devices. Key findings suggest diverse ideological stances shaped by historical, political, and cultural contexts. The analysis reveals a predominance of resistance narratives (30%) and victimization frames (22.5%) in the sampled articles, aligning with previous research on Arab media's emphasis on resilience. The study also identifies a significant use of war and conflict-related metaphors (37.5%), underscoring the media's focus on framing the situation in terms of urgency and high stakes. The research design employs a qualitative, exploratory approach with a focus on descriptive analysis. Using purposive sampling, the corpus consists of 50 English-language articles from five prominent Arab English-language online newspapers, representing diverse political perspectives. The coding framework, developed based on existing CDA research, examines the textual, discursive, and socio-cultural dimensions of the chosen corpus. The findings highlight the importance of balanced reporting, informed policymaking, and critical media consumption in fostering constructive dialogue on these conflicts. Implications of this research extendto media literacy, academic discourse, and practical applications in policy and education. By revealing ideological biases and strategic framings, the study serves as a tool for empowering audiences to engage more critically with conflict-related content in the digital age.
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