Pro-Syrian Regime Versus Anti Regime Outlets: A Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis

The Syrian conflict that erupted in 2011 became a global crisis and attracted the international social media attention, leading to engagement of superpowers. Based on assumption discourse is not neutral impacted by social, political, economic contexts [1], this paper employs van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach investigate role protracting conflict. It analyzes two main local, anti-, pro-regime, outlets’ posts, tweets expose their discursive strategies embedded ideologies. This article exposes manipulation practices discoursal linguistic level. conducts complex analysis uncover hidden messages techniques has been delivered utilized conflicting parties Syria, influencing people’s minds, increasing polarity, altering revolution’s conception, tragedy. findings indicate vis-à-vis context biased. parties, especially pro-regimes outlets, manipulate with aim understandings beliefs hence actions. Anti-government actors are always stereotyped as foreign backed, extremists, terrorists. International local have contributed perception conflict, from popular movement violent civil war.