A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of the Conflict in Iraq in English Media Discourse (2014-2015)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study analyzes images accompanying texts illustrating the conflict in Iraq in 2014- 2015 in selected images and texts from American and English newspapers. The study employs Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis approach (SF- MDA) of Kress and van Leeuwen (2006), and Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) of Halliday (2014) as the tools of analysis within van Dijk’s (1998, 2006) theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The images and texts are drawn from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Daily Telegraph. The selected data represent an attempt by the writers and images’ producers to persuade the reader and the viewer of the victimization of the Iraqi people by ISIS. Retaining a multimodal approach exhibits how multimodality works to enhance the concept of interconnectedness of visual and linguistic representations. A comparative study between American and English newspapers further enhances the positive Self representation of the Iraqi people against the negative Other representation of ISIS.