Syrian Economic Crisis in Arabic News: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This research utilizes the discourse analysis methodology developed by Fairclough and Leeuwen to scrutinize the portrayal of the Syrian economic crisis in Arabic news outlets such as Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Al-Ikhbariyah, Syria. The study seeks to understand the methods of excluding and incorporating the discourse about Syria's economic crisis in Arabic news and elucidate the various factors and their implications on Syria's economy and societal progress. The analysis is based on data collected from the aforementioned Arabic news outlets between 2021 and 2022. The research findings include instances of exclusionary discourse in reporting Syria's economic crisis, manifested through one instance of Passivation, one of Nominalization, and three cases of Subject Substitution. The study also identified the active discourse, evidenced by one instance of abstraction, one of identification, two of Association, and one of Individualization. The research demonstrated that various Arabic news outlets accurately depicted the discourse surrounding Syria's economic crisis and offered mutual clarification. Nevertheless, the employed discourse strategies varied, resulting in differing viewpoints on the issue. A primary exacerbating factor identified was the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which transformed Syrian territory into a conduit for weaponry and food, thereby escalating the economic crisis in Syria. The fallout from this economic turmoil is expected to reverberate into neighboring nations such as Lebanon and Iran.