Textual Features in American News Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The study aims at analyzing "Textual Features in American News Media, which are used by CNN". The study adopted critical discourse analysis as a method of this study. The primary data for this study are top stories collected from CNN website. The study concluded to a number of findings, the most important of which are that CNN as a news producer modifies the wording and presentation of news according to the audience it addresses, the study demonstrates that CNN includes a large number of Israeli voices which do not give the same space to the voice of the Palestinians. The study indicates that the types of reporting (direct, indirect and scare quotes) used in CNN’s news article which play a dynamic and important role in drafting the news articles. The study shows that effectiveness of intertextuality in the news articles of CNN reproducing certain political ideologies. The study recommends that Language teachers at universities should plan instructions to create positive attitudes towards using media language in academic writing. Students should attend a course in audiovisual media such as Aljazeera Media Institute. The study suggests that further studies should be carried out in CNN to apply other fields of linguistics, and similar studies should be conducted in other channels such as BBC and Aljazeera English.