A Corpus-Based Keyword Analysis of Islamophobic Discourse in British Tabloid Newspapers: Representations, Patterns, and Trends, 2015–2025

Abstract

This study investigates the linguistic construction of Islamophobia in British tabloid newspapers between 2015 and 2025 through the combined application of corpus-based keyword analysis and critical discourse analysis (CDA). Drawing on theories of media representation, ideological discourse, and systemic racism, the research examines how Islam and Muslims are recurrently portrayed within influential segments of the British press. A purpose-built corpus comprising approximately 2.4 million words was compiled from articles published in The Sun, The Daily Mail, and The Daily Express over a ten-year period. Using AntConc and the WordSmith Tools keyness function, keywords were identified by comparison with a reference corpus of British broadsheet journalism. The analysis focuses on statistically salient lexical patterns and their discursive functions in constructing social meanings. Findings reveal a persistent set of keyword clusters associated with negative representations of Islam and Muslims, particularly within semantic fields related to violence, terrorism, criminality, illegality, extremism, and cultural incompatibility. These lexical patterns contribute to the recurrent framing of Muslims as a social, political, and cultural threat. Diachronic analysis demonstrates that threat-oriented discourse intensified following major terrorist incidents, migration-related debates, and national election campaigns, indicating a close relationship between political events and media representations. At the same time, the frequency of overtly dehumanizing and biological metaphors declined over the decade, reflecting increasing regulatory scrutiny and public criticism of discriminatory reporting practices. Nevertheless, more subtle forms of exclusionary and racialized discourse remained prevalent. The study argues that Islamophobia in British tabloids operates through both explicit and implicit discursive mechanisms and contributes to the reproduction of systemic inequalities. The findings advance corpus-assisted critical discourse studies and enrich scholarship on race, media representation, and contemporary Islamophobia.