Political News Disinformation: An Analytical Investigation

Abstract

This study investigates disinformation in political news coverage by analysing the ‎utilisation of pragmatic strategies and logical fallacies to mislead audiences.  The present ‎study analyses news articles from Fox News, CNN, and Al Jazeera English during the "Al-‎Aqsa Flood" conflict (October 7, 2023–January 19, 2025), utilising an eclectic framework ‎that integrates disinformation taxonomy, Gricean maxims, and fallacy analysis.  Research ‎indicates that "half-truths disinformation" is the most frequent type, accounting for 80%, ‎frequently supported by violations of the conversational maxims of quantity, relevance, and ‎manner, as well as fallacies including irrelevant appeals and begging the issue.  These ‎techniques serve to generate erroneous beliefs, misinform audiences, and conceal essential ‎information.  The investigation emphasises the rhetorical exploitation in typical media ‎outlets and highlights the necessity for critical media literacy to tackle political ‎disinformation and preserve democratic discourse.‎