Irregular Migration in E-Newspapers: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Readers' Comments

With the rising rate of Internet penetration in Morocco, e-newspapers, which have become a popular tool in the spread of news, have given voice to their audience to have their say in what is reported. Yet, despite the popularity of such digital platforms, little is known about their interactive communication process. It is also undeniable that, from a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) perspective, it is very important to study the process of news discourse as it is a site in which ideology and unequal power relations reside. Accordingly, this study critically investigates readers’ comments in the most popular Moroccan e-newspaper, Hespress, in the way they represent the issue of irregular migration in the country. The methodological framework is a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative research methods which are used to analyse the thematic choices used in Hespress readers’ comments to represent the issue of irregular migration. The overall findings of this investigation show that Hespress’ readers represent the issue of irregular migrants as a threat to the Moroccan society. Accordingly, the scenario of ‘Us’ versus ‘Them’ is emphasised in Hespress readers’ comments. Furthermore, the finding that the readers’ comments talk negatively about the issue explains that e-newspapers have empowered their audience by giving them space to produce knowledge that can challenge the news producers.