How Does Religious doctrine Affect News: A Discourse Analysis Study

This paper uses discourse analysis to analyze the linguistic elements employed in how two different newspapers report on a certain event in Bahrain. This paper will address the question of what linguistic structures are employed in the two news stories to influence the perceptions of the reader in opposite directions. The two newspapers are published in countries that hold opposing views about the government in Bahrain and the protests taking place on its streets. This paper uses methods of discourse analysis such as thematic analysis, lexical cohesion, naming and macrostructure analysis to interpret how the inclination, bias and loyalties of the newspaper are being conveyed to the reader. The representation in the Saudi Gazette is mainly neutral while it excludes any information that reflects poorly on the Bahraini government or puts it in a negative light. On the other hand, the Tehran Times uses a lot of references to negative actions of the government to discredit it and make the legal amendment appear as a tool of oppression against the Bahraini protestors.