INFORMATION ABOUTTHESISMASTER'S DEGREE
1. Student's full name:DO THI BICH PHUONG2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: 23/11/1997
4. Place of birth: Hanoi
5. Decision on student admission No. 5915/QD-XHNV dated October 28, 2024, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes in the training process: None
7. Title of the topicthesisAnalyzing the discourse of news headlines about the Israel-Palestine conflict in English-language online newspapers.
8. Major: Journalism; Code: 8320101
9. Scientific Advisor: Dr. Phan Van Kien, Director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi
10. Summary of the thesis results:
Thesis"Analysis of the discourse of news headlines about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in English-language online newspapers"This study aims to analyze the hidden layers of meaning behind word choices, thereby highlighting the systemic differences in discourse strategy between a globally influential news agency like AP News and a typical Vietnamese online foreign affairs newspaper, VnExpress International. Through a comparison of lexical features and translational structures, the research deciphers the relationship between text form and discourse practice and social practice, thereby showing that newspaper headlines are not purely a reflection of objective reality but always bear the imprint of power institutions as well as the distinctive ideology of the country where the newsroom is headquartered and operates.
Chapter 1 established the theoretical foundation and provided an overview of the practical context, forming the scientific basis for the entire thesis research. Theoretically, the chapter systematized fundamental concepts that underpinned the analysis, such as discourse, discourse analysis, and critical discourse analysis (CDA)—which is also the main approach to dissecting the relationship between language, power, and ideology in the headlines of the two newspapers. The central analytical framework is Fairclough's three-dimensional discourse analysis model, providing a comprehensive view of textual structure, discourse practice, and the social context in which the two newspapers operate. Halliday's systematic functional linguistics serves as a sharp linguistic tool for analyzing semantics and syntactic structure at the first level—the textual dimension. Concepts related to journalism clarify the specifics of online mass media and the guiding role of news headlines.
Chapter 2 clarified the urgency and rationale for selecting AP News and VNEI as research subjects, reflecting a clear correlation with the diplomatic stances and socio-political contexts of the United States and Vietnam regarding the Middle East issue. The author also detailed the data collection steps, sample selection criteria, timeframe, and data classification and coding procedures according to the standards of qualitative and quantitative research in CDA. The methodological and data preparation results in Chapter 2 ensured objectivity and scientific rigor in obtaining the research results on news headlines related to the conflict published on AP News and VNEI in Chapter 3.
When presenting the results and discussing Norman Fairclough's three-dimensional discourse analysis model in Chapter 3, the findings show: In the first dimension, the study dissects the superficial linguistic features in the headlines, such as vocabulary, expressive nuances, and the system of transitions, to reveal how the two news organizations assign roles to the actors performing the actions and the affected parties, thereby creating different perspectives on the nature of the conflict. The second dimension clarifies the production and processing of news sources at both news organizations. AP News' news production process demonstrates a dependence on mainstream sources from Western institutions. VNEI, on the other hand, has an intertextual approach in its reporting strategy, clearly demonstrated through the balanced citation and integration of international texts and press releases, reflecting careful and objective source processing techniques. The third dimension explains the factors leading to the discourse differences between the two news organizations. Specifically, VNEI's reporting stance is influenced by Vietnam's independent, self-reliant, multilateral foreign policy, which prioritizes peace and humanitarianism. Conversely, AP News' stance is influenced by the geopolitical context of the United States and the strategic alliance between the US and Israel. Comparing these socio-political contexts reveals that journalistic discourse is a product shaped by the institutions and geopolitical space of the country where the newspaper is based.
11. Practical applications:
This research provides readers with critical thinking skills, helping the public identify ideological infiltration strategies so as not to be misled by one-sided news sources, because no news report is completely objective or outside of ideology. At the same time, the research results are a valuable reference for journalists, editors, translators, etc., in choosing vocabulary and sentence structures to ensure both international objectivity and uphold national stance and interests.
12. Future research directions:
Instead of focusing solely on pure text, further research should expand to analyze multimodal elements such as images and videos, or compare the discourse on social media platforms of these newspapers to understand the transformation of ideology in the digital age. The way the press chooses its photographic angles of battlefields, victims, military scenes, etc., is an interesting topic that shows how discourse is constructed and how it frames readers' perceptions. Besides qualitative analysis, researchers could consider conducting reader surveys to understand how the labeling and framing strategies of the press impact public attitudes and beliefs regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Furthermore, further research could expand the data by collecting larger samples over longer periods. Researchers could compare the discourse in newspapers from Middle Eastern countries (Israel, Arab countries, etc.) with that of Asian countries (China) and Western countries (Russia or EU countries) to see the clash of ideologies on the global political map.
13. Published works related toproject: Do not have
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name:DO THI BICH PHUONG2. Sex:Female
3. Date of birth:23 November 19974. Place of birth:Hanoi
5. Admission decision number:5915/QD-XHNV, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, HanoiDatedOctober 28, 2024
6. Changes in academic process:None
7. Official thesis title: Discourse Analysis of News Headlines on the Israel–Palestine Conflict in English-Language Online Newspapers
8. Major: Journalism 9. Code: 8320101
10. Supervisors: Dr. Phan Van Kien, Director, Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:
The thesis entitled “Discourse Analysis of News Headlines on the Israel–Palestine Conflict in English-Language Online Newspapers” aims to examine the underlying meanings embedded in the linguistic choices made in news headlines. It seeks to identify the systematic differences in discourse strategies between AP News, a globally influential news agency, and VnExpress International, one of Vietnam's leading English-language online newspapers. By comparing lexical choices and transitivity structures, the study explores the relationship between textual features, discourse practice, and social practice. The findings demonstrate that news headlines are not simply objective representations of reality but are shaped by the power structures and ideological orientations associated with the countries in which the news organizations operate.
Chapter 1 establishes the theoretical foundation and practical background for the study. It reviews the key concepts of discourse, discourse analysis, and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which serves as the main analytical approach for examining the relationship between language, power, and ideology in the headlines of the two newspapers. The study adopts Fairclough's three-dimensional model of discourse analysis as its primary analytical framework because it provides a comprehensive perspective on textual features, discourse practice, and the broader social context in which the newspapers operate. Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics is used as the linguistic framework for examining semantic meanings and syntactic structures at the textual level. In addition, concepts related to journalism are reviewed to clarify the characteristics of online news media and the important role of headlines in guiding readers' understanding of news events.
Chapter 2 explains the rationale for selecting AP News and VnExpress International as the subjects of the study. The two newspapers were chosen because they different diplomat positions and political and social contexts reflect in the United States and Vietnam regarding the Middle East. This chapter also describes the research procedures in detail, including data collection, sampling criteria, the time frame of the study, and the process of classifying and coding the data. The research design combines qualitative and quantitative methods within the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis. The methodological procedures and data preparation presented in this chapter provide a reliable and objective basis for the analysis of conflict-related news headlines presented in Chapter 3.
Chapter 3 presents the findings and discussion based on Fairclough's three-dimensional model of discourse analysis. At the first dimension, the study examines surface linguistic features of the headlines, including lexical choices, evaluative expressions, and transitivity patterns. These linguistic features reveal how the two newspapers assign agency and affected participants, thus constructing different interpretations of the conflict. The second dimension focuses on discourse practice by examining how news is produced and how information sources are used. AP News mainly relies on official sources associated with Western institutions in its news production process. In contrast, VnExpress International demonstrates a stronger level of intertextuality through its balanced use of quotations and references to international documents and official statements. This practice reflects a careful and objective approach to handling news sources. The third dimension explains the broader social factors behind the differences in discourse between the two newspapers. The reporting approach of VnExpress International is influenced by Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, peace, and humanitarian values. By contrast, the discourse of AP News reflects the geopolitical context of the United States and its strategic alliance with Israel. The comparison of the two political and social contexts suggests that journalistic discourse is shaped by institutional structures and the geopolitical environment in which a news organization is based.
12. Practical applicability, if any:
The study provides readers with a more critical perspective, enabling them to recognize the ideological strategies embedded in news discourse and to avoid being influenced by one-sided sources of information. This is because no news report is entirely objective or completely free from ideology. In addition, the findings serve as a useful reference for journalists, editors, translators, and other media professionals in selecting appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures that not only maintain international standards of objectivity but also maintain national positions and interests.
13. Further research directions, if any:
Rather than focusing solely on textual analysis, future research should extend to multimodal discourse analysis by examining elements such as images, videos, and other visual materials. It may also compare the discourse presented on the social media platforms of these news organizations to explore how ideology is expressed and transformed in the digital age. The ways in which the media selects photographs of battlefields, victims, military activities, and other visual content offer a valuable area of study, as such choices play an important role in constructing discourse and shaping readers' perceptions. In addition to qualitative analysis, future researchers may conduct audience surveys to investigate how media labeling and framing strategies influence public attitudes and perceptions of the Israel–Palestine conflict.
Furthermore, future studies may expand the dataset by collecting a larger sample over a longer period of time. Comparative research could also include newspapers from Middle Eastern countries, such as Israel and Arab states, together with those from Asian countries, such as China, and representatives of the Western world, such as Russia or member states of the European Union. Such comparisons would provide a broader understanding of how different ideological perspectives interact within the global political landscape.
14. Thesis-related publications: None
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