PREJUDICE, POWER AND LANGUAGE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF MEDIA DISCOURSE ABOUT ISLAMOPHOBIA

Abstract

The media discourse is critical in defining how the people perceive Islam and Muslims. The Western outlets tend to portray Islam as an extremist and war-related phenomenon which is a source of Islamophobia, whereas non-Western media might create their own accounts that focus on human rights and acceptance. This study discusses the ways media creates prejudice and power against Islam, and the linguistic and rhetorical choices that are used and the comparisons of these representations between Western (CNN, The New York Times) and non-Western (Al Jazeera) media. Fairclough (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) has been used as a qualitative design. Thematic analysis of lexical framing, securitization and counter-narratives was performed based on 15 news articles (2021-2024). The language of the Western media is often evaluative and security-related, as it tends to depict Muslims as a threat, whereas Al Jazeera focuses on empathy and agency, as well as social inclusion. Counter-narratives set up opposition to mainstream Islamophobic discourse and emphasize resistance tactics. Media language serves as a place of resistance and as a mechanism of prejudice. The study highlights the importance of media literacy and fair representation of Muslims in the world.