Critical Discourse Analysis of Iran and Shiite in Saudi Arabian Online News Sites

For representation of idealogy of dominating social institutions, news media rebuild and represent reality in a manner which show legitimation for «us» groups and delegitimation for «other» groups. Significance and sensitivity of the Middle East crises made writers of this research to survey all kinds of delegitimation of Iran and Shiite by utilizing analytical– descriptive method and according to Van Leeuwenʼs model (2008) in Saudi Arabia English- language articles in online news sites like: Al Arabiya, Al Sharq Al- Awsat and Saudi Gazette during 2013 and 2014. This paper attempts to answer this question that how and by which techniques and more on which topics, the news sites delegitimize Iran and Shiite. Data analysis of this research shows that approach of Saudi Arabia in opposition to Iran and Shiite ideology is in line with the West policy and also Saudi Arabiya’s news media have mostly delegitimized Iran and Shiite in three basic matters which include social and cultural issues and individual, ethnic and minority freedom, the nuclear program and sanctions and finally, fighting against terrorism and negative role of the Shias.