| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines the pragmatic and rhetorical strategies used in political news headlines and articles to shape public opinion and comprehension of complex geopolitical issues. 40 texts, all being political opinion pieces on the Iranian ongoing crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the Taiwan-China-US tensions, were sourced from CNN and Fox News. The approach combines qualitative and quantitative analyses in order to gain insight into the linguistic and rhetorical strategies employed by news media writers. Based on Searle's (1975) speech act taxonomy, pragmatic analysis of headlines examines how to engage readers and convey specific messages using persuasive techniques. A rhetorical grammar analysis, influenced by Kolln and Gray (2014), examines the grammatical choices that increase the persuasive power of the texts, such as emotive language, metaphorical expressions, and modal verbs.
According to the analysis, speech acts were deployed differently across the two news outlets and based on the topics addressed. The headlines are dominated by assertive or directive acts, reflecting a focus on public opinion guidance and information dissemination. CNN's narrative-driven approach to storytelling suggests an elevated frequency of expressive acts. However, Fox News' high prevalence of directive acts indicates an agenda-setting role designed to influence audience behavior. CNN exhibited a greater frequency of first-person pronouns than Fox News, highlighting authorial presence and personal perspective. A consistent theme on Fox News is using emotive language to engage readers and reinforce ideological stances, especially in coverage of the Iranian crisis. By strategically using metaphors on Fox News, it shapes the way people interpret geopolitical reality, with a reliance on metaphors more evident when addressing Iran's complex situation.
In this comparative analysis of CNN and Fox News articles, linguistic choices significantly affect framing issues, shaping public discourse, and influencing readers' cognitive and emotional responses. An era of information overload and polarization emphasizes the importance of critical language awareness and media literacy, and underscores the importance of audiences understanding the persuasive techniques news organizations use to advance their editorial agendas. An understanding of how language, pragmatics, and rhetoric interact in news writing will provide insights into the construction of persuasive arguments. In this research, it is highlighted how media outlets influence public opinion and the importance of making discerning audiences aware of their strategies. In order to promote public understanding of how language is used to influence perceptions of global events, the study urges heightened awareness and critical thinking when engaging with persuasive media narratives.
Keywords: pragmatic strategies, rhetorical strategies, geopolitical issues, speech acts, rhetorical grammar, media literacy, persuasive techniques, CNN, Fox News, public opinion. | |
