SE314 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

Fairclough’s (1998) approach to media texts:

By
Dr. Ghayth Al-Shaibani
Fairclough’s (1998) approach to media texts:

• Prelude - 序言
• Fairclough’s (1998) approach
• Example
Prelude

• Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) uncovers power relations and

ideological manifestations when analysing a text or talk linguistically.

• CDA investigates social problems such as racism, sectarianism 宗派主义 ,

power abuse, and bias (van Dijk, 1988, 2001; Wood & Kroger, 2000;
Fairclough, 1992; al-Shaibani, 2011; Wodak, 2001).

• A case in point, CDA investigates institutional - education, political -

news, report , tv channel, and media discourses - news paper, tv show
which have become of interest to a number of prominent researchers in
the field, such as Fairclough (1995a, 1995b; 1998, 2001), van Dijk
(1988a; 1988b; 2001; 2005), Wodak (2001) and Reisigl and Wodak
(2001).

• They have employed various approaches to address their linguistic and

Fairclough’s (1998) Approach: political discourse in the media

• In a series of studies conducted by Fairclough (1992; 1995a, 1995b; 2001; 2003), he

argued that discourse analysis requires social analysis along linguistic analysis.
• socially - power relation
• e.g. family relation /techaer and student’s interaction

• Within this context, he defined discourse as a spoken or written language use, and
this language use is a form of social practice rather than an individual activity.

• For example, classroom teaching is a social practice which involves action and
interaction mediated through language and where social relations between the
teacher and his/her students are defined in terms of power relations; this in turn
constitutes the type of discourse.

• This classroom scenario goes through text production and interpretation -

meanings which is called discourse practice.
• Fairclough (1995a) examined a British university prospectus 广告单 and
found out that power relations are hardly defined clearly in the text and
are contested v. 竞争 between the authority of university and the
applicant as a consumer who is looking for what better suits him/her in
this market.

• Therefore, the applicant’s requirements are not overtly explained.

• As for Fairclough’s (1998) approach, it is an analytical framework of

political discourse in the media.

• In this approach, his focus is on Agents (actors) and Genres (sub-

discourses or discourse within discourse).

• For agents - for political , they can be professional politicians, journalists,

political analysts, academic political scientists, and pundits (experts).
• For genres, they can be political interviews, phone-in programmes, chat shows,
political debates, audience discussion programmes (as in Oprah Winfrey Show in
the USA). The latter one involves political debate, romance, and therapy.
• genre - politaics (1h tv show 30min on politics )

• Some agents such as Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Parliamentarians play a

prominent role in the political (news) discourse and others. - prominent actor

• Ordinary people (laypeople) started to play a role in political conversation and

debate in audience discussion programmes as in Oprah Winfrey Show. - less
prominent actor

• As an example of genres in this respect, my lecture today can be categorised as an

academic socio-political one as it involves an academic subject matter (analytical
framework to media), power abuse and discrimination in a society, and little
politics.

• A better understanding of the text under investigation can be accomplished when

one has cultural knowledge and background information (Fairclough 1998; al-
Shaibani 2011).
Example from the BBC (refer to the attached example in the Word file)

Task to discuss in class

1. Find the orders of discourse in terms of agents and sub-discourse(s) if any.

2. State why these orders.

3. What is the dominant actor and genre?

4. How is the text produced (the journalist’s report in this case, and in other
cases, the author’s view) and how is the text perceived by you as a
recipient?
paraphrase or quote ？ positive or negative or neutral ？
Thank you