Publication: Representations Of Individuals With Mental Illness In Selected News Reports Of The Star Online And Malaysiakini: A Critical Discourse Analysis
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2025-05
Authors
Murugaiah, Niveethene
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Despite the crucial role of news media in shaping dominant narratives about mental health, existing literature shows that news representations of individuals with mental illness have generally been stigmatising. Notably, research on media portrayals of this group has mainly focused on mainstream newspapers, with little attention given to independent newspapers. Therefore, this study aims to compare how individuals with mental illness are represented in two widely read online newspapers in malaysia: the mainstream newspaper the star online and the independent newspaper malaysiakini. Using critical discourse analysis (cda), the study examines 12 selected news reports from each newspaper at both textual and ideological levels. The analysis is informed by van dijk's (1980) theory of semantic macrostructures, halliday and matthiessen’s (2014) systemic functional linguistics, and van dijk’s (1998) theory of ideology. The study’s findings reveal that representations of individuals with mental illness in both newspapers were broadly comparable across all three aspects of textual analysis, highlighting their perceived dangerousness and vulnerability. Furthermore, they were typically positioned as a ‘voiceless’ group in both newspapers. In contrast, individuals without mental illness, notably those in positions of power, were accorded the space to ‘give’ voices on behalf of those with mental illness.
Description
Keywords
Representations Individuals Mental Illness Selected Reports