Framing the Actors though Thematic Structures: The Case of the Malaysian Orang Asli

The current study deals with the analysis of thematic structures in news articles published regarding the Orang Asli community in The Star. The study aims to investigate the major themes associated with the community when they are presented in media. An analysis was conducted on 158 news articles through the utilisation of van Dijk’s “Theory of Semantic Macrostructures” (1980). Findings revealed that the community has been stereotypically represented as the most marginalised ethnic group in Malaysia with the highest poverty rates, experiencing poor health conditions, confronted horrendously with limited amenities, and facing limited access to political power. The findings provide a novel insight into the ways the Orang Asli community are represented in media and serves as a wake-up call for a more neutral representation of the community in media. Received: 15 September 2020 / Accepted: 4 February 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021