Analysis of the media discourse in the Iraqi Justice newspaper regarding nationalisms in Iraq

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the media discourse of Al-Adala Newspaper regarding the issue of ethnicities in Iraq after 2003, using the PADM (Practical Analytical Discourse Method). This method allows for a multi-layered approach to discourse, starting from the surface linguistic structures and moving toward deeper ideological dimensions. A sample of nine news reports published in the newspaper was selected, as they represent different patterns of coverage related to the ethnic issue, particularly in sensitive contexts such as the national census, disputed territories, and the entitlements of ethnic groups.

The significance of the study lies in the fact that media discourse in Iraq cannot be separated from the political and social contexts that followed the fall of the former regime, where national identity and ethnic plurality emerged as some of the most complex challenges in state-building. Hence, the central research question is posed: How does Al-Adala construct its discourse on ethnicities? Does it attempt to reinforce the discourse of citizenship and national development, or does it reproduce the discourse of components that emphasizes recognition of sub-ethnic identities?

The study followed a sequential methodology: collecting relevant news texts and extracting key excerpts, then analyzing them through the five levels proposed by PADM (Level–Level, Depth–Level, Level–Depth, Depth–Depth, and Deeper). Applying this framework revealed a dual structure of discourse: on the one hand, a surface-level administrative and technical discourse that stresses neutrality, inclusiveness, and development; and on the other hand, deeper implicit messages of reassurance to ethnic groups, supported by legal and historical legitimization of their claims