Jurnal Ilmiah Bina Bahasa
Vol 19 No 1 (2026): Jurnal Ilmiah Bina Bahasa

CONSTRUCTING IRAN IN THE GUARDIAN: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Muhammad Yazir (Universitas Sriwijaya)
Firma Pradesta Amanah (Universitas Sriwijaya)
Yentri Anggeraini (Universitas Sriwijaya)
Faiza Naurah (Universitas Sriwijaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
16 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study examines how Iran is represented in a The Guardian news article that discusses post-ceasefire Iran–United States relations. The focus is placed on how media language, while appearing neutral, can still carry ideological meanings through subtle linguistic choices. The study draws on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), supported by Systemic Functional Linguistics and pragmatic analysis, to examine ten selected excerpts. These excerpts contain features such as modality, nominalization, negation, hedging, and rhetorical questioning, which are used to shape how Iran is linguistically constructed in the text. The analysis suggests that Iran is represented as a state actor with strategic positioning and resilience. This representation is not stated directly but emerges through repeated patterns of wording and grammatical choices across the text. In this way, language contributes to how geopolitical actors are understood in relation to power, legitimacy, and conflict. Rather than treating the news text as purely objective reporting, this study highlights how micro-linguistic patterns contribute to the framing of geopolitical actors in news discourse. However, the findings are limited to a single article and are not intended to represent Western media in general.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

binabahasa

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

This journal contains articles and research results. The scope of the research includes: language, literature, education, learning, as well as education and study education. Research can be done in basic school, elementary school, junior high,high school, or college. ...