EL-Sayed, D. (2023). Lexical Choice in Muslim and non-Muslim Suspects Representations in The American Channel Fox News: Discourse Analysis Approach. CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 83(1), 197-233. doi: 10.21608/opde.2023.325334
Dalia EL-Sayed. "Lexical Choice in Muslim and non-Muslim Suspects Representations in The American Channel Fox News: Discourse Analysis Approach". CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 83, 1, 2023, 197-233. doi: 10.21608/opde.2023.325334
EL-Sayed, D. (2023). 'Lexical Choice in Muslim and non-Muslim Suspects Representations in The American Channel Fox News: Discourse Analysis Approach', CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 83(1), pp. 197-233. doi: 10.21608/opde.2023.325334
EL-Sayed, D. Lexical Choice in Muslim and non-Muslim Suspects Representations in The American Channel Fox News: Discourse Analysis Approach. CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 2023; 83(1): 197-233. doi: 10.21608/opde.2023.325334
Lexical Choice in Muslim and non-Muslim Suspects Representations in The American Channel Fox News: Discourse Analysis Approach
English instructor at Misr University for Science and Technology)
Abstract
The current study attempts to unravel the ideological stance of Western-media coverage of incidents carried out by Muslim suspects. This research analyzes the lexical choices utilized to represent Muslim and non-Muslim suspects, precisely, in the American channel, Fox News. Reports covering the incidents are selected from ‘Fox News electronic archives’, as it is considered the main source of information in the Western Hemisphere. The research demonstrates how the selection of certain lexical items shapes the identity of Muslim suspects, in contrast to non-Muslim suspects. The analysis framework builds on van Dijk's Socio-cognitive approach to understand how media coverage maintains and reproduces ideology. This study examines and compares the representations of both Muslim and non-Muslim suspects committing similar attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community (LGBT). It is argued that certain linguistic choices emphasize the negative stance towards Muslims and play down the negative effect against non-Muslims.