“Gender” in English Political News in Thailand: A Keyword and Collocational Analysis of LGBT

Abstract

This study examines how LGBT people are represented in Thai political online news discourse by analyzing the use of the term “gender.” Utilizing a corpus of English-language articles from Prachathai and Bangkok Post published between 2020 and 2024, the research employed corpus-assisted discourse analysis, combining quantitative keyword and collocation analyses with qualitative thematic analysis. The quantitative analysis identified “gender” as the most prominent keyword, uncovering key themes such as “gender equality,” “identity,” “recognition,” “markers,” and “neutrality.” Collocational analysis provided further insights, revealing strong connections between “gender” and terms with the aforementioned emerging themes. Also, the qualitative thematic analysis added context and nuanced interpretations to these findings. The results highlighted both advancements in LGBT advocacy and ongoing issues, such as discrimination and negative representations. This study sheds light on the news media’s role in shaping societal views on gender and sexuality within a specific socio-political framework. The use of methodological triangulation enhances the reliability and depth of the interpretations.