Media and its portrayal of terrorism : A Critical Discourse Analysis of the influence of media

The power of media in the formation of opinion is well documented. We use the information that surrounds us to form our own opinion, but how is it that opinion can become “public”? How susceptible are we to influences of prejudice and pre-constructed elements in media? The principle interest of this study is to examine how media coverage can differ between news outlets; are there, in fact, traces of opinion altering the content in mass media? By using a methodological framework based on the theories of Critical Discourse Analysis, this thesis sets out to determine the difference in the broadcasting of opinion between two British newspapers. By looking at differences in how Muslims and Islam are portrayed in the media, in connection with acts of terrorism on European soil, the thesis will draw conclusions concerning both how perpetrators and innocent are depicted and also how concepts as fear and dread are incorporated into the news