Ideological Features and Language Manipulation Strategies in French and English: The Syrian Crisis

The present study investigates language manipulation strategies and ideological features in online news headlines in France24 and RT broadcasting channels in French and English, respectively. The researchers investigate how news about the Syrian crisis is viewed from two different points of view, namely French and Russian. Headlines in the two languages are analysed according to the principles of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Results show that both France24 and RT news headlines report news about the Syrian crisis using different choices of vocabulary, leading to different, ideologically driven interpretations. In other words, France24 news headlines select specific terminology to depict France and its allies as ''peacemakers'' in Syria. Conversely, Russia- along with its allies- are described in France24 headlines as 'instigators of chaos''. However, in RT news headlines, the vocabulary selection describes Russia as a ''conflict resolver'' in Syria, whereas rival countries of Russia are viewed as ''rogue interveners''.