FRAMING WAR THROUGH WORDS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE RUSSIA–UKRAINE CONFLICT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

Edho Anggara Doby  Putra; Ingatan Gulo

doi:10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v6i2.604

Edho Anggara Doby Putra Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia
Ingatan Gulo Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v6i2.604

Keywords: critical discourse analysis, ideology, media framing, Russia–Ukraine conflict

Abstract

This study investigates how The New York Times discursively constructs the Russia-Ukraine conflict through textual strategies that shape public perception and ideological framing. Employing Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework, the research analyzes 25 articles published in 2022, focusing on vocabulary choices, grammatical structures, modality, presupposition, omission, and repetition. The findings reveal a consistent pattern of lexical polarization, such as the use of “invasion,” “liberation,” and “resistance” that portrays Russia as the primary aggressor and Ukraine as the legitimate defender. Grammatical features like passivization and nominalization serve to obscure agency, while evaluative language and modality guide moral judgments and assumptions. The study highlights the role of media in constructing ideological narratives and underscores the significance of linguistic choices in shaping audience attitudes toward geopolitical events. Ultimately, this research contributes to broader discussions on media discourse, ideology, and the power of language in global conflict representation.

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