| Abstract [eng] |
This article examines the discursive features of direct quotations in war news coverage by the national Lithuanian broadcaster LRT during 2022 and 2023, focusing on three discourse strategies: identification, polarisation and legitimisation. The content analysis was conducted using NVivo 12.0, whereby the cited actors in war news reports were initially coded based on their direct citations. A total of 352 instances of direct discourse revealed that the identification strategy (225 instances) establishes a clear ideological boundary between the warring sides, contributing to both a polarising (105 instances) and legitimising (130 instances) tone. The findings of this research highlight that direct discourse serves an ideological function in news reporting, enabling journalists to add moral and emotional dimensions to the reported war narrative. The explored discourse strategies – identification, polarisation and legitimisation – illustrate how the ideological divide between the perpetrator and the victim acquires moral and emotional weight. The thematic content of direct discourse is reinforced by the broader context of war news, which systematically highlights four themes: ‘the Other’, ‘military equipment’, ‘quantification’ and ‘attack’. The analysis reveals a discourse of resilience, which frames exposure to adversity as an opportunity for adaptation, collective sentiment and a unified sense of self-esteem. |
