Critical Discourse Analysis: Media & News

Presented by:

Mazhar Iqbal RanjhaPh. D EnglishID. 13009094005

2

Points to be discussedDiscourseDiscourse Analysis (DA)Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)Difference between DA and CDA (Broad)Aims of CDAIdeologyConclusion

4

Text

• M.A.K. Halliday:

… a semantic unit containing specific textual components, which makes it ‘internally cohesive’ and functioning ‘as a whole as the relevant environment for the operation of the theme and information system’.

5

Discourse

• Widdowson 1978:• ‘discourse’ is made up of sentences having the

properties of cohesion & coherence!

It investigates the supra-sentential structure of any stretch of language, spoken or written.

6

Defining Discourse Analysis

• Actual practices of talking and writing ( Woodilla, 1998)

• To explore the relationship between discourse and reality (Foucault, 1965)

• How texts are made meaningful through production, dissemination, and consumption, and how do they contribute to the constitution of social reality by making meaning ( Phillip & Brown, 1993)

7

Discourse Analysis

1) Speech Act Theory focuses on communicative acts performed through speech.

2) Interactional Sociolinguistics focuses on the social and linguistic meaning created during interaction.

3) The Ethnography of Communication focuses on language and communication as cultural behavior.

8

Discourse Analysis

4) Pragmatics focuses on the meaning of individual utterances in hypothetical contexts.

5) Conversation Analysis focuses on how sequential structures in conversation provide a basis through which social order is constructed.

6) Variation Theory focuses on structural categories in texts and how form and meaning in clauses help to define text. (Schiffrin,1994)

9

• The words of those in power are taken as

"self-evident truths" and the words of those not in power are dismissed as irrelevant, inappropriate, or without substance (van Dijk, 2000).

10

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

• …to figure out the real meaning behind the spoken and written word… for the betterment of the human family.

• how unmasking the written word can bring about a different perspective and deeper understanding of whose interest is being served

11

DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Lack of concern with explanation (how discourse and discursive practices are social shaped / their social

effects)

Descriptive analysis> local explanatory

CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

CDA pays attention to: ideational meanings , Assumptions about social relations underlying interactional practices (naturalized implicit propositions in discourse > positioning of people as social subjects)

Critical Analysis > global explanatory

CDA • It is a function that operates vertically in relation

to these various units which enables one to say of a series of signs whether or not they are present in it (Foucault, 1972, p. 86) (A. Shahzad’s)

• ...simultaneously a piece of text, an instance of discursive practice and an instance of social practice (Fairclough, 1992, p. 4). (A. Naveed’s)

• CDA should deal primarily with the discourse dimensions of power abuse, and the injustice and inequality that result from it (Ven Dijk) . (Jabir’s)

13

CDA

• Our words are never neutral (Fiske, 1994)!

•No text is independent of its cultural context (N. G. Dalia, 2012)

Aims of Critical Discourse Analysis Van Dijk (1995)

Problem or issue oriented rather than paradigm orientedCDA is not a school, field or discipline but a critical approach, position or stance of studying text or talkInter- or multidisciplinary focusing on the relations between discourse and society (social cognition, politics and culture)

Aims of CDA

Broad spectrum of critical studies in human and social sciencesPay attention to all levels and dimensions of discourseNot only to verbal but other semiotic dimensions of communication(Group) relations of power, dominance and inequality in society

Aims of CDA

Social relations of gender, race, class, ethnicity, age, religion, nationality, etc.Uncover discursive means of mental control and social influenceFormulate or sustain an over all perspective of solidarity with dominated groupsDisclose, reveal and uncover what is implicit or hidden…… Underlying ideologies

IdeologyTerm “Ideology” coined by Antonie Destt de Tracey after French RevolutionIdeology is ground of all sciences (McLellan, 1986)Ideology is a cultural system of ideas about social and linguistic relationship, together with their loading of moral and political interest (Irvine, 1989)

IdeologyThe notion of ideology is presented- involving cognitive and social psychology, sociology, and discourse analysis (Van Dijk, 2004)Ideology is a set of belief system that constitutes a person’s belief, value, goals and anticipation (Van Dijk, 2004)

For mediaThe ideology may be Government supporting,Anti-government,Impartiality Attract public attention for high rating, BusinessEducate the masses, etc.

Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

By: Vensa Laban

Ref:Laban, V. (2007). Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts. Medijska Istrazivanja/Media Research, 13(2).

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

IntroductionLead inThe closure Lead out

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

Lead in A hybrid news genre because of close connection with the content of journalistic textThe first sentence creates the viewer’s first impression of the story (Tompkins, 2002)It has basic information about the event but do not answer all journalistic questions“Last night two men paid this year’s first blood tax on Styrian roads. ……They died under a truck ….”

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

Lead in…… Visual image 10 to 15 secondsAccessed voicesPhotographs and soundsVisualized meansAnchor reads without visual imageAnchor reads with graphic imageMoving images for authentication

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

Discursive strategies: Reformation of journalist questions,Use of interrogative questions,Announcement of up coming event,Use of unfinished sentencesReformation of the part of the answerUse of the original questions, pre-recorded with answers

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News BroadcastsThe closure Bring the text to an endLook back at the contents or present their opinionsMeaningful sounds

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News BroadcastsFunctions in SDNB Announcement of future developmentsMain stress or summaryAdditional information about similar eventsInformation about unanswered questionsInterpretation of the eventDirect address with an instruction, warning or admonishEmphasized on the identification of the text

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News Broadcasts

IntroductionLead out Wrap up or tag lineTwo or three sentences immediately after the closure of the textSeparate from the main newsTo make it more authentic and remove any doubts

Article 1: Television Reports in Slovenian Daily News BroadcastsStrategies Communicate the latest informationCommunicate additional informationCommunicating remarksAnnouncement of thematically related themes

CDA and News: Approaches to the analysis of media discourse

By: Adel Refaat Mehfouz

Ref: Mahfouz, A. R. (2013). A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE POLICE NEWS STORY FRAMING IN TWO EGYPTIAN NEWSPAPERS BEFORE JANUARY 25 REVOLUTION. European Scientific Journal, 9(8).

Article 2: CDA and News: Approaches to the analysis of media discourse

IntroductionAnalysis of public text-media discourseMedia may not have the power to dominate what people think or act but has power to influence how people think about and response to the information it providedFairclough’s three dimensional frame work: Text-Discourse practice-Socio-cultural practice

Article 2: CDA and News: Approaches to the analysis of media discourse

IntroductionA school forbids students to bring their lunch boxes from home Students can buy healthy lunch boxes from schoolIt claims that lunch boxes brought from home do not contain required nourishing material

Article 2: CDA and News: Approaches to the analysis of media discourse

Chicago Tribune news• Chicago school bans some

lunches from the school• Comments: Dozens of

hands flew up in the air “We should bring our own lunch”

CNN• Should school rule kinds’

lunch

Article 2: CDA and News: Approaches to the analysis of media discourse

School clarification “Dear Parents of Little Village Academy:…..”

A CDA of the Police News story framing in two Egyptian Newspapers

By: Siyuan Wuwww.personal.psu.eduRetrieved at:https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.personal.psu.edu%2Fsww5203%2Fblogs%2Fsiyuans_e-portfolio%2FSiyuan%2520Wu.-Final%2520project%2520of%2520APLNG_581.pdf&ei=K2ZbU_KEDuWQ7Aac5IF4&usg=AFQjCNFl8OFh-sLKKiZNcBrXdwOYZS3XBw&sig2=46MWrSak-YBe0RzQP5YHpQ

Article 3: A CDA of the Police News story framing in two Egyptian Newspapers

IntroductionLinguistic structure of framing a story by two political influential newspapers Al-Dostor and AL-GomhuriaExplore the scope and nature of their ideologiesA story of a woman who was killed in the result of a scuffle with the police

Article 3: A CDA of the Police News story framing in two Egyptian Newspapers

AL-GomhuriaThe Head lineRiots at Samalout after an

officer caused the death of a woman

The LeadMinia’s Samalout has witnessed

yesterday riots that caused the blocking of Cairo-Aswangeen road after the death of a 36-year old woman named Mervat Abdul-Fattah Abdul

Al-DostorThe Head lineDozens of Minia residents set

fire to a police vehicle after a pregnant woman killed by Samalout Police officer

The LeadThe furious residents blocked….

To revenge….

Article 3: A CDA of the Police News story framing in two Egyptian Newspapers

AL-GomhuriaThe Head lineOne officer and three soldiers

wounded in SinaiThe LeadOne central security forces

officers were short yesterday in riots at Al-Hassana, North Sinai ….. 4 from the crowed injured as well

Al-DostorThe Head lineHundreds of Bedouin rally, set fire to

tries at “Naga Shabana”One Bedouin killed, another injured in

armed confrontation with police troops in Central Sinai

The LeadArmed confrontation between the

nomads of Sinai and Ministry of Interior newly erupted and resulted in killing one and injuring another during police chasing at central Sinai last Monday evening

Article 3: A CDA of the Police News story framing in two Egyptian Newspapers

AL-GomhuriaThe Head lineUnidentified men fired on

Shebeen trainThe LeadUnidentified men opened fire

at Shebeen Al-Kanter_Cairo train and wounded a passenger on passing by Tahnoub village. They tried to stop the train and rob the passengers …..

Al-DostorThe Head lineMen armed with klashenkof

attacked Qlyyoubia train, steal passangers’ belongings

The LeadThe number of attackers ----

with quick firing automatic rifles ----- raised number of injuries ….

Conclusion

Have discussed media discourseDiscursive practiceHow media influence the thinking of the

audienceIssues and ideology behind the discourse“Journalism itself is inadequate to tell the story

…. It is not a reality, but aversion of reality……” (Times’ Public Editor Okrent, 2005)

Thanks for Patience