Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a theoretical framework for analyzing language use and its relationship to power, ideology, and social inequality. The topic being studied is immigration, a highly contested and politically charged issue in many parts of the world. The first article, The Irish Times, discusses “Migrants Deserve Our Support and Respect” (Arnold et al., 2021, p. 247). The report begins by acknowledging the challenges faced by migrants who come to Ireland seeking a better life, such as discrimination, xenophobia, and economic hardship. The author argues that Irish society has a moral obligation to support and respect these migrants and that their contributions to the country should be celebrated rather than denigrated.
The second article analyzed is from a different culture; the Washington Post is about “Immigrants Steal Jobs and Drain Resources” (Lilleker and Perez, 2023). The article presents a different perspective on immigration, arguing that immigrants burden the host society and take away jobs and resources from native-born citizens. In analyzing these two articles, the key aspects include the context of production, discursive strategies and ideological implications of the language used (Afifah and Sahmeni, 2019, p. 42). In the Irish Times article, the context of production is a newspaper that is part of a broader media landscape generally supportive of immigration and multiculturalism. As a result, the Irish media tends to be more sympathetic to the struggles of migrants and more open to their perspectives.
In contrast, the context of production for The Washington Post article is an American newspaper that is part of a media landscape that is deeply divided on the issue of immigration. Immigration has been a contentious issue in American politics for decades, becoming polarized recently (Joye and Maeseele, 2022). The discursive strategies used in the two articles are also different. The Irish Times article uses a discursive strategy of empathy and solidarity, framing migrants as victims of discrimination and hardship who deserve support and respect (Furlong and Gorman, 2023, p.10). In contrast, the Washington Post article uses a discursive strategy of fear and hostility, framing immigrants as a threat to the well-being of native-born citizens and language used is negative and accusatory. Thus, the implications of the language used in the two articles are quite different. Consequently, the Irish Times article reflects a progressive, inclusive ideology that values diversity and human rights.
Reference List
Afifah, N & Sahmeni, E. (2019) ‘Using critical discourse analysis (CDA) in media discourse studies: Unmask the mass media. Reila,’ Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 1(2), pp. 39-45. Web.
Arnold, S., Gusciute, E. and Kinlen, L., Quinn, E., (2021) ‘Cultivating problems for the future: Integration supports for resettled and spontaneous refugees in Ireland,’ Migration Studies, 9(2) pp. 236-259. Web.
Furlong,C & Gorman, A, (2023) Partnership or prescription: a critical discourse analysis of HEI-school partnership policy in the Republic of Ireland,’ Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, pp.1-15. Web.
Joye, S. and Maeseele, P., (2022) Critical discourse analysis: The articulation of power and ideology in texts. In Qualitative data analysis. Key approaches. Sage.
Lilleker, D. and Pérez-Escolar, M, (2023) ‘Demonizing migrants in contexts of extremism: Analysis of hate speech in UK and Spain,’ Politics and Governance, 11(2). Web.