*Seach Jin Beng

Abstract:

Malaysian news portals often feature news related to the B40 group as they are considered the socially disadvantaged group. Conversely, the T20 group in Malaysia refers to 20% of the population earning the highest income which serves as the complete opposite of the B40 group. Primarily deemed as a privileged group, this study examines how the T20 group is unfairly framed and othered in the media by drawing upon Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s concepts of media framing and othering. The study examines the linguistic elements in selected articles that depict the T20 as “unaffected”, “undeserving”, and “unrealistic”. This negative portrayal is used to justify the implementation of broad economic policies, that exclude the T20 from government subsidy programmes and impose higher taxes on them. This demonstrates the power of language to evoke negative feelings and perceptions about a specific group, including those perceived as privileged in a society.

Keywords: T20, othering, media framing, media representation, Malaysian media.