Framing the shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in English and Arabic news headlines: a critical discourse study

This study investigates the ideological manipulation of language in news media headlines concerning the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Using Van Dijk's socio-cognitive model of Critical Discourse Analysis, a comparative qualitative analysis of 100 Arabic and 100 English headlines was conducted. The analysis explored linguistic features at the micro and macro levels, examining identity construction for the victim and perpetrator within distinct linguistic and cultural contexts. Arabic headlines favored active voice, numeration, emphatic language, and metaphors, while English headlines preferred passive voice and litotes. The macrostructure analysis revealed how headlines shaped public opinion and interpretation, particularly within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the interplay between language, ideology, and power in news media.

Rima Jamil Malkawi, Shehdeh Ismail Fareh, Ghaleb Rabab'ah