FRAMING ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE USE IN INTERNATIONAL MASS MEDIA ON THE SYRIAN COASTAL CONFLICT

Abstract

The circulation of mass media becomes more extensive in the digital era. It is undeniable that mass media has a vital role in presenting various news topics, including political, economic, and social topics, as well as international conflict issues. Amid a fast and massive flow of information worldwide, the media conveys facts and composes narratives that can influence people's perspectives on reality. International mass media were invigorated by a violent conflict that occurred in the coastal region of Syria, involving Syrian security forces and armed rebels who were strongly suspected of being loyalists of the couped Bashar al-Assad regime. This has become a global public spotlight, especially for countries in the Middle East. Many international mass media have also reported the chronology of the clashes that claimed hundreds of lives from various perspectives. Therefore, this research is important to understand how mass media consciously or unconsciously shape opinions and contribute information through framing techniques. This research aims to analyze framing strategies and identify the news focus of three international mass media that actively report on global issues, including the conflict in Syria, i.e., Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. This paper employed the descriptive-qualitative research method with the framing analysis approach based on the model developed by Pan and Kosicki. Data were collected through documentation and note-taking techniques on the three mentioned mass media. The analysis technique was carried out by identifying framing elements, which include four structures; the syntax, script, thematic, and rhetoric structures, in the analyzed news texts. This identification revealed differences and similarities of the three mass media in preparing news. The results of this study show that in presenting the same issue, each media outlet uses different framing strategies. However, in some structures, there are similarities in the use of common terms. This difference in framing impacts the construction of meaning that is conveyed to readers. This finding is crucial as it shows that framing is not only an editorial strategy but also a powerful tool to shape public insights and opinions. This research contributes to the study of applied linguistics and communication in understanding how language is used as a bridge in interpreting a news discourse as public information media.