A critical discourse analysis of headlines in online news portals

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the discursive devices used in the news headlines, unravel the ideologies of the media practitioners, and reveal the insights that can be generated from the findings. Thirty headlines were gathered from five major online news portals in the Philippines namely: ABS-CBN, CNN Philippines, GMA, Interaksyon, and Rappler. This is a qualitative study that is seen through the standpoint of Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in 1995. Results showed ten discursive devices used in the headlines by media practitioners to attract attention from readers that may direct them to not just read the headline but read the entire article. These are evaluative language, vocabulary, intensification and quantification, immediacy, reference to emotion, reference to elite people, role labels, institutional agency, country, and events. It was also found out that these devices brought out media practitioners’ ideologies. It was further found out that writers or editors were objective or neutral, subjective or biased, and misleading. They were shown through the use of direct and indirect quotation, numbers and figures, and choice of words in writing the headlines. The selection of the words used in the headlines showed the political dispositions of the news practitioners who intentionally choose only those speeches or news that may create sensational feelings among the readers. To put it simply, the writer or editor’s angle of judgment reflected how he or she wanted the readers to perceive the issue. Furthermore, the results of this study may provide ideas to news consumers to not just read the headlines but read the entire article so that they may know if the headline matches its content and that they may be able to identify if the issue is true or not, if it is slanted or sensationalized.