Representation of candidates in the 31 March 2024 local elections: The case of Sabah and Cumhuriyet newspaper

In this study, Cumhuriyet and Sabah newspapers' coverage of the news discourses on Justice and Development Party candidate Murat Kurum and Republican People's Party candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu for the 31 March 2024 Istanbul local elections were analyzed using Teun Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis model. The reasons for choosing these newspapers are to determine the way newspapers with different ideological approaches represent the candidates and to identify the differences in the way they deal with the subject. In the study, newspaper articles were systematically analyzed in order to determine the ideological elements in newspaper articles. According to the findings, Murat Kurum's election projects, his relations with his rivals and his messages to the public are emphasized in the news articles of Sabah newspaper. While active sentence structures are preferred to reinforce Kurum's positive image, a negative representation effort is observed against his rivals. In Cumhuriyet newspaper, Ekrem İmamoğlu's social sensitivity and leadership qualities are emphasized positively, while criticisms against Murat Kurum come to the fore. While İmamoğlu's projects and public relations strengthen his image, the use of passive sentence structures regarding Kurum causes criticism to be indirectly included. As a result, both newspapers continue their efforts to shape public opinion by presenting political figures in different ideological frameworks. This analysis helps to understand the role and impact of the media in political communication.