For us, the answer isn't to abandon our critical roots for computational, big data approaches. Our combination brings in the best of both worlds: it allows us to identify broad discursive patterns across large-scale corpora, while maintaining the interpretive and critical foundations needed to explain why those patterns exist, reaching beyond a narrow view on the text and data.

When conflict unfolds in real time, language does not merely describe events; it actively participates in shaping their meaning. Headlines circulate before facts settle. Casualty figures are framed before responsibility is agreed upon. Terms such as retaliation, clash, terror, or self-defence become interpretive anchors long before public consensus emerges.

My experience in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) during my undergraduate studies provided me with an avenue of inquiry for my MSc in Social Research, allowing me to draw concrete, unique conclusions which significantly enriched my master’s dissertation.