A Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis of Language Use in CNN and Al Jazeera English Media Coverage of Gaza War
Keywords:
content analysis, linguistic bias, media bias, media coverage, media Framing, news language, October 7th Events
Abstract
This study explores linguistic bias and media framing in the coverage of the October 7, 2023 events by CNN and Al Jazeera English. Recognizing the central role of language in shaping perceptions and influencing public opinion, especially during politically charged events, the research aims to identify linguistic differences in the two networks’ narratives, focusing on word choice, connotations, and framing strategies. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, twelve English-language news reports (six from each network) published between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2024, were analyzed. The study examines contextual analysis (who, what, when, where, and why), language analysis ( connotation, rhetorical strategies, and voice), and global superstructure analysis (framing and source attribution). The findings reveal distinct differences in rhetorical style, source selection, and sentence structure, along with recurring narrative patterns throughout the conflict. The study concludes that news language is not neutral but strategically constructed to shape political perception, highlighting the importance of critical media literacy and deep engagement with media discourse.
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2. Baker, W. (2015). Culture and identity through English as a lingua franca: Rethinking concepts and goals in intercultural communication (Vol. 8). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
3. Baker, P., Gabrielatos, C., & McEnery, T. (2021). Discourse analysis and media attitudes: The representation of Islam in the British press. Cambridge University Press.
4. Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Content analysis. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved April 19, 2025, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/content-analysis
5. D’Alessio, D., & Allen, M. (2000). Media bias in presidential elections: A meta-analysis. Journal of Communication, 50(4), 133–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02866.x
6. Dallmann, A., Lemmerich, F., Zoller, D., & Hotho, A. (2015). Media bias in German online newspapers. In Proceedings of the 26th ACM Conference on Hypertext & Social Media (pp. 133–137). ACM.
7. Ekström, M., & Firmstone, J. (2022). Discourse, media and power: The political mediation of journalism. Journalism Studies, 23(5), 603–619. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2022.2024101
8. Entman, R. M. (2007). Framing bias: Media in the distribution of power. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00336.x
9. Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and power. Longman.
10. Fairclough, N. (1995). Media discourse. London: Edward Arnold.
11. Falk, E. B., Berkman, E. T., Mann, T., Harrison, B., & Lieberman, M. D. (2012). Predicting persuasion-induced behavior change from the brain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 30(25), 8421–8424. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0063-12.2010
12. Flusberg, S. J., Holmes, K., Thibodeau, P. H., Nabi, R. L., & Matlock, T. (2024). How everyday language shapes the way we think, feel, and act. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
13. Fowler, R., Hodge, R., Kress, G., & Trew, T. (1979). Language and control. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
14. Fowler, R. (1991). Language in the news: Discourse and ideology in the press. London: Routledge.
15. Gitlin, T. (1980). The whole world is watching: Mass media in the making and unmaking of the new left. University of California Press.
16. Guo, L., Huang, G., & Lee, T. (2025). The media trust gap and its political explanations: A cross-national analysis. The International Journal of Press/Politics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612251315597
17. Hamborg, F., Donnay, K. & Gipp, B. Automated identification of media bias in news articles: an interdisciplinary literature review. Int J Digit Libr 20, 391–415 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00799-018-0261-y
18. Herman, E. S., & Chomsky, N. (2002). Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media (2nd ed.). Pantheon Books.
19. Hopp, F. R., Fisher, J. T., & Weber, R. (2020). Dynamic transactions between news frames and sociopolitical events: An integrative, Hidden Markov Model approach. Journal of Communication, 70(3), 335–355. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa015
20. Kramsch, C. (2014). Language and culture. Oxford University Press.
21. Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
22. Lecheler, S., Schuck, A. R., & de Vreese, C. H. (2015). Emotional appeals and journalistic reactions: Theory and experimental evidence. Journalism, 16(3), 307–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884913511564
23. Mullainathan, S., & Shleifer, A. (2002). Media bias. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(4), 1197–1239. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355302320935437
24. Otmakhova, Y., & Frermann, L. (2025). Narrative media framing in political discourse. Preprint.
25. Parasie, S. (2022). Implicit media framing and its societal effects. In Bridging the Cross-disciplinary Disparities in Media Bias and Framing (pp. 15–38). ACL Anthology.
26. Prodnik, J. A., & Vobič, I. (2024). News sources in the sociology of the media: A critical re-examination. Critical Sociology, 50(4–5), 795–812. https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205231217306
27. Rodrigo-Ginés, F.-J., Carrillo-de-Albornoz, J., & Plaza, L. (2024). A systematic review on media bias detection: What is media bias, how it is expressed, and how to detect it. Expert Systems with Applications, 237, 121641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2023.121641
28. Scheufele, D. A., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, agenda setting, and priming: The evolution of three media effects models. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00326.x
29. University of Rochester. (2023). Bias patterns in political news headlines (2014–2022). [Institutional report].
30. Van Dijk, T. A. (1977). Text and context: Explorations in the semantics and pragmatics of discourse. Longman.
31. Van Dijk, T. A. (2021). Critical discourse studies: A sociocognitive approach. Routledge.
32. Wodak, R. (2023). The politics of fear: The shameless normalization of far-right discourse (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Published
2025-09-19
How to Cite
Duaa Wisam Al-Muhtaseb, Rama Badwan Mohammad Qnaiby, Danya Nasser Rije, & Bayan Ramzi Alhanini. (2025). A Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis of Language Use in CNN and Al Jazeera English Media Coverage of Gaza War. Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, (124), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.33193/JALHSS.124.2025.1518
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Copyright (c) 2025 Duaa Wisam Al-Muhtaseb , Rama Badwan Mohammad Qnaiby , Danya Nasser Rije , Bayan Ramzi Alhanini
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