Polarized Discourse in the News

The aim of this study is to investigate ideological structures of polarized discourse coded in the reports of two online news websites: egyptindependent and Ikhwanweb. The study focuses on online news reports relating to three interrelated events: the issuing of a constitutional declaration by the Egyptian president, the aftermath clashes outside the presidential palace and the issuing of the Egyptian draft constitution. The analysis of these reports is conducted within the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis. The features of the ideologies of polarized discourse are traced through quotation patterns and labeling. The study concludes with a discussion on how both websites establish a dichotomy of ‘we’ versus ‘them’. In addition, the reports of each website marginalize the other through what is termed ‘Absent News’.