CONSTRUCTING FEMALE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN MILITARY SPACE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CNN’S REPORTING ON KAMALA HARRIS

Abstract

This study investigates how CNN International constructs political discourse surrounding Vice
President Kamala Harris becoming the first woman to deliver a commencement address at the
United States Military Academy at West Point. Using Van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
framework, this research analyzes three interrelated dimensions: textual structure (macrostructure
and microstructure), social cognition, and social context. The data consist of a CNN International
online news article reporting Harris’s commencement speech delivered on May 27, 2023. A
descriptive qualitative method was employed through documentation, identification, classification,
and interpretation of discourse elements. The findings indicate that the news text strategically
emphasizes historical achievement, democratic ideology, and global leadership narratives. Through
lexical choices, thematic organization, and rhetorical strategies, CNN constructs Harris as both a
symbolic figure of gender progress and a legitimate representative of U.S. global authority. The
study demonstrates how media discourse reinforces dominant ideological positions while
simultaneously promoting gender inclusivity within elite political and military institutions.