The discursive and social power of news discourse : The case of Aljazeera in comparison and parallel with the BBC and CNN
Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: This study pursues a textual analysis of the online news output produced mainly by Aljazeera in comparison and parallel with the online news output of both the BBC and CNN. But it steers away from mainstream CDA literature by focusing on aspects other than texts. The analysis triangulates CDA with ethnographic research which includes observation, stories, field visits, interviews and important secondary data such as media reports and samples from style guidelines. The ethnographic angle is found to be crucial in unraveling both the social and discursive worlds of Aljazeera, the BBC and CNN as it has helped in the drawing of conclusions that extend and occasionally contradict commonly held views on how the three networks create and disseminate hard news and the ideas and concepts mainstream CDA literature employs to explain and understand these processes. The research first lays down the theoretical and methodological framework through a concise overview of the literature and the thinkers CDA scholars have relied on in shaping the discipline. Then the study discusses CDA’s limitations before detailing the scope of issues and questions it wants to answer. Thereafter, it deals with the issues of method and data before moving to a detailed critical analysis of Aljazeera, comparing and paralleling the findings with previous research and in the context of its major two international rivals, namely the BBC and CNN. 1.
Author: Leon Barkho
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W106973847