This paper explores the essence and problem of the theory of Norman Fairclough, a representative scholar advocating ”critical discourse analysis” in conducting media text research. In addition to introducing briefly the main features of Fairclough's theoretical model, this paper discusses the theoretical deficiency and disputed positioning of the model from critical academic perspectives. The conclusion of this study is that Fairclough has still not completely clarified the positioning of ontology in his theory, particularly regarding the disputed proportion between realism and constructivism. However, in actual research activity, the examples of certain empirical analyses Fairclough has provided indicate that particular analytical strategies of his theoretical framework are still effective in reading media text.