Ideology and Power in Online Media Editorials: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Kata Kunci:
Critical Discourse Analysis, Online Media Editorials, Ideology, Power Relations, Media DiscourseAbstrak
In the digital media era, online media editorials play a crucial role in shaping public opinion, constructing ideology, and legitimizing power relations. Despite their influential position, editorial texts are often perceived as neutral commentaries, obscuring the ideological functions embedded within their language. This study aims to critically examine how ideology and power are constructed in online media editorial texts by employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as the primary analytical framework. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative research design, the study analyzes selected online editorials using Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, which encompasses textual analysis, discursive practice, and social practice. The findings reveal that editorial discourse systematically utilizes evaluative vocabulary, authoritative modality, metaphorical framing, and selective representation of social actors to legitimize dominant perspectives and marginalize alternative voices. At the level of discursive practice, editorial texts are shaped by institutional ideologies and controlled intertextual references, reinforcing media authority and symbolic power. At the level of social practice, editorial discourse contributes to the reproduction of hegemonic ideologies while offering limited spaces for contestation within institutional boundaries. The study confirms the effectiveness of CDA in uncovering the ideological and power-laden nature of online editorial discourse and highlights the broader implications for media literacy, journalism ethics, and democratic public discourse. By extending CDA analysis to digital editorials within a specific socio-political context, this research contributes theoretically, practically, and contextually to contemporary media discourse studies.
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