Studies in English Language and Education
Vol. 13 No. 2 (2026)

Burma news international’s media framing: Critical discourse analysis on the Rohingya crisis

Agwin Degaf (Universitas Islam Negeri Malang)
Arrima Fazza Maulidda (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim)
Nur Fitria Anggrisia (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim)
Zainur Rofiq (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim)
Habiba Al Umami (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 May 2026

Abstract

The Rohingya crisis, underpinned by systemic discrimination and exclusion in Myanmar, continues to be a salient humanitarian concern. While international media have extensively covered the issue, perspectives from Myanmar-based media remain underexplored. Contributing to media discourse analysis, this study examines Myanmar-based reporting to understand how local narratives align with or differ from international discourses. It analyzes how Burma News International (BNI) constructs the Rohingya issue in articles published between March and July 2023, using van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model across macrostructural, superstructural, and microstructural levels. The findings reveal that BNI constructs the Rohingya crisis through interconnected macrostructural, superstructural, and microstructural elements. At the macrostructural level, BNI consistently highlights themes of systemic persecution, repeated arrests, refugee camp incidents, and humanitarian aid, portraying the Rohingya mainly as victims of structural violence. At the superstructural level, the arrangement of headlines, leads, background details, and conclusions emphasizes urgency and humanitarian concern while providing limited representation of Rohingya voices. At the microstructural level, the repeated use of negatively charged language strengthens narratives of vulnerability, marginalization, and crisis. Hence, future studies should examine a broader range of media sources and platforms to further explore how media shape public understanding, reinforce ideological positions, and influence policy responses to humanitarian crises.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

siele

Publisher

Subject

Description

Studies in English Language and Education (SiELE) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The journal presents research and development in the field of teaching ...