Abstract
Stylistics provides a powerful lens for uncovering how language constructs meaning, shapes perception, and encodes ideology in media discourse. Building on this, the study investigates the representation of power and ideology in media narratives of the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict, drawing on news articles from major international outlets such as REUTERS, BBC, CNN, and AL JAZEERA. Employing critical stylistic toolkit, the analysis focuses on naming, describing, representing actions, equating and contrasting, implying, and prioritizing information. This study adopts aqualitative research design to examine the linguistic and stylistic construction of ideology in media discourse. The findings demonstrate that lexical choices, syntactic structures, narrative sequencing, and figurative language systematically shape perceptions of legitimacy, responsibility, and authority. Some media foreground aggressive or authoritative actions of certain actors while backgrounding others, producing asymmetrical portrayals that reinforce geopolitical hierarchies. In contrast, multiperspective and neutral reporting foregrounds diplomacy and contextualizes actions, mitigating ideological bias. Overall, the study confirms that media language is not a neutral conduit for information but an active site of ideological construction, highlighting the intricate interplay between linguistic form, power, and interpretive framing in shaping public understanding of international conflicts.
Keywords: Power, Ideology, Media Narratives, U.S.–Israel–Iran Conflict, Critical Stylistics
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i01.036
author/Ogolekwu, O., &Igbaba, V. S.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(1) | June 2026 |
