Strategic Functions in CNN’s Media Discourse An Ideological Strategy To Win People’s Support A Critical Discourse Analysis Study

Hanan Al-Radhi

Abstract


The present study investigates the possibility of utilizing the four strategic functions of political discourse initiated by Chilton and Schaffner (1997) to analyze media discourse. The paper is concerned with how Cable News Network (CNN) employs the four strategic functions within its media discourse to convey its media message to its readers, reflecting the concept of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’. Hence, this research contributes to the realization of strategic functions notion in media discourse, in general, CNN’s news discourse, in particular, by analyzing presupposition and the hidden ideologies behind. It seeks to answer the following question: Can strategic functions be established and utilized within the media discourse to convey ideological media message to the recipients? van Dijk’s theory of Ideological Square (1998) will be utilized to clarify CNN’s presentation of positive ‘Self’ and negative ‘Other’ (in and out groups). Wodak’s historical discourse approach for CDA (2009) will be integrated to provide the readers with the needed background information to understand the text. Fairclough’s 2-dimentional approach for CDA (1995) will be employed to organize the process of analysis. The linguistic analysis of CNN’s news text that concerns with Arab-spring Yemen approves that the strategic functions concept can be detected within media discourse.

Keywords


Strategic Functions, Critical Discourse Analysis, ‘Self’ and ‘Other’, Cable News Network (CNN), van Dijk’s theory of Ideological Square (1998)

Full Text:

PDF

References


Akbulut, A. (2010). Globalization and justification of war in international media discourse: a comparative study of media discourses between the 1st and 2nd gulf wars. (Doctorial dissertation. The State University of New Jersey). Retrieved April 7, 2013, from Dissertations & Theses Abstract [ProQuest LLC database].

Ali, G.A. (2011). Hero or terrorist? A comparative analysis of Arabic and western media depictions of the execution of Saddam. Discourse & Communication, 5 (4) 301-335. London: SAGE.

Aljazeera . (2011a), The Arab awakening, Aljazeera channel. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/general/2011/04/20114483425914466.html [23/November 2011].

Al-Jazzera English Website. (2011b). The Arab awakening- spotlight. Retrieved from: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/2011/02/2011222121213770475.html [26/March 2012].

Al-Khudiri, A. (2014). "Sectarianism and civil war spark in Yemen". In: The Middle East Newspaper. Issue 6

Al-Quds Al-Arabi. (2014). "Al-Houthis and Yemeni Division". In: Al-Quds Al-Arabi online newspaper

Al-Quds Al-Arabi. (2012). "America is concerned about violence and weak implementation of recommendations. And sentences of 23 doctors jailed for three months in Manama". In: Al-Quds Al-Arabi online newspaper. Vol.24. Issue.7289

Al-Shehabi, S. (2014). "Arab spring's last flower" . In: Al-Quds-Al-Arabi Newspaper. Retrieved from: www.alquds.co.uk?p=132792 www.manapost.com/News.php?name=20140202225

Ashley, J. (2011) The Arab spring requires a defiantly European reply. The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 15/Septmber 2013 http://www.guardian.Co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/06/arab-spring-european-reply-labour.

Bakri, N. (2013). "Yemen and the ghost of political sectarianism". In Al-Jazzerah website

Bakri, N. and Goodman, J. David. (2011). Thousands in Yemen protest against the government. Retrieved from: http://www. ytimes.com/2011/01/28/world/middleeast/28yemen.html. 22/July 2013

Barkho, L. (2007). Unpacking the discursive and social links in BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera's Middle East reporting. Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 1 (1), 11-29.

Chilton, P. & Schaffner, C. (1997). Discourse and Politics. In T.A. Van Dijk (ed.), Discourse as a social interaction: discourse studies: a multidisciplinary introduction. (vol. 2) Oxford: Blackwell

Fadhli, N. (2013)."Arab spring in Yemen…reasons and results". In: Al-Kufa Magazine for law sciences. Issue 17. Journals.Uokufa.edu.iq

Fahim, K. (2011), Slap to a man's pride set off tumult in Tunisia. In: New York Times, [online], available from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/22/world/africa/22sidi.html?pagewanted=all <[23 November 2011]

Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis: the critical study of language. London & New York: Longman

----------------- (1993). Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Firdous, T. 2009. Al Jazeera English, Presenting a non-Western viewpoint and contesting Western media dominance during the Gaza crisis. Retrieved from ProQuest. 27/ May 2013

Goatly, A. (2000). Critical reading and writing: An Introductory course book. London: Routledge

Levinson, S. (1983). "Pragmatics" (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics). London: Cambridge University Press

Manfreda, P. (2011). Arab spring uprisings: Country Guide to Arab uprisings. About.com Middle East Issues time, Free Middle East Issues Newsletter!2011. Retrieved from internet on 15/Jan., 2014

Mazid, B.M. (2007). Presuppositions and strategic functions in Bush's 20/9/2001 speech. In Journal of Language and Politics 6(3), 351-375.

Riggins, S.H. 1997. The Rhetoric of othering. In Riggins, (Ed.) The language of politics of exclusion. Others in discourse. (pp.1-36). Thousand Oaks: Sage

Power, S. (2012). The Origin of Al-Jazeera English. In: P. Seib. (Eds.), Al-Jazeera English, Global news in a changing world. New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Orient 's Gate. (2014). " Is Yemen is on the brink of sectarianism". In: Orient 's Gate online newspaper - Al-Jazzerah Network Website.

Ross, G. (2008). Introducing War: Visual Analysis of Online Media Discourse on Forces and Weapons of the Iraq Conflict. London: Carleton University Press

Van Dijk, A.T. (1993). Principles of critical discourse analysis. In: Discourse and Society. 4 (2), pp.:249-83.

Van Dijk, A.T. (1998a). Critical discourse analysis. In D. Tannen, D. Schiffrin and H. Hamilton(eds),The handbook of discourse analysis. Oxford: Blackwell

Van Dijk, A.T. (1998b). Ideology: a multidisciplinary approach. London: sage.

Vidino, L. (2013)."The Arab spring and the Middle East 's monarchies". In: International Relations and security network (ISN), ETH Zurich. Special Feature 2013

Wodak, R. (1989). Language, power and ideology. Amsterdam: Benjamins

Wodak, R. and Mayer, M. (2009). Methods of critical discourse analysis .London: Sage

Yule, G. (1996). " Pragmatics" (Oxford Introduction to Language Study Series). London: Oxford University Press




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.9n.3p.43

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.