Exploration of Media Framing Conflict of Peace and Polarizational Narratives: A Study through Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This research uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how the media presents conflicts through polarizing and peace-oriented narratives.  In order to compare peace and polarizational narratives and assess their effects on public opinion and societal polarization, the study attempts to identify the most common framing techniques used in media coverage of conflicts.  As a potent agenda-setter, the media has a big impact on how people view conflicts. Mixed-method approach is used to express the hidden agenda of Critical Discourse Analysis. The textual, discursive, and social practice analyses were driven by Fairclough's three-dimensional document analysis framework.  Frequency counts, frame classification, and language analysis were all done using coding sheets.  Analysis was done on a purposeful sample of 75 media texts, which included debates, editorials, and news stories.  According to the report, media is dominated by polarizational frames (45%), which eclipse storylines that are focused on peace (37%).  CDA demonstrates how linguistic techniques marginalize discourses of reconciliation while normalizing separation.

Keywords: Conflict Communication, CDA, Polarizational discourse, Peace narratives, Media framing.