Mapping discourse coalitions in the minimum unit pricing for alcohol debate: a discourse network analysis of UK newspaper coverage

Abstract Background Public health policy development is subject to a large number of stakeholders seeking to influence government thinking on policy options. One approach is via the news media. We compare the competing discourse coalitions evident in the UK public debate across two pricing policies, Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). Methods Existing discourse network analyses (DNA) for MUP and SDIL were harmonised in Visone to allow direct comparison. We applied a common tie-weight threshold to reduce ties to robust argumentative similarities and to maximise the identification of both network structures. We used network measures (size, density and EI index) to compare the two networks and principal coalitions. Results Both networks involve a similar range of stakeholder types and form two discourse coalitions representing proponents and opponents of the policies. The SDIL network is larger, particularly the proponents coalition with over three times as many nodes and a lower EI index. Both networks show tight discourse coalitions of manufactures and commercial analysts acting in opposition to policy supporters. The only actors that appear in both debates are politicians, government advisors, commercial analysts and supermarkets. While public health actors appear in both debates they appear siloed in their interests. Conclusions DNA enabled direct comparison of the discourse coalitions across two highly contested pricing policy debates, visualising the complex network of actors and relationships operating to influence policy-making via the media. Use of comparative DNA across policy debates shows promise for better understanding the common tactics of different unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) to disrupt public health policies. Public health actors could improve their response to UCIs by seeking to work across policy and commodity arenas. Key messages We compared the competing discourse coalitions across two pricing policy debates, MUP and SDIL. Public health advocates could improve their response by working across policy arenas.

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Fuelling the Subsidized Public

Canadian Journal of Communication ◽

10.22230/cjc.2021v46n4a4019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Robert Neubauer ◽

Nicholas Graham

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Social Network Analysis ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Political Action ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Advocacy Organizations ◽

Réseaux Sociaux ◽

Echo Chamber ◽

Discourse Coalitions ◽

Networked Publics

Background: This article explores the Facebook communications of Canadian oil and gas advocacy organizations, including industry-funded and nominally independent groups. Analysis: These groups are analyzed as producers of “subsidized publics,” with elites providing supporters with resources that enable them to take political action on industry’s behalf. A social network analysis maps how they link supporters with information from diverse sources, constructing networked publics whose members can recirculate pro-industry talking points. Conclusions and implications: These communications enact powerful forms of network-making power, programming an interconnected echo chamber that interfaces supporters with material from neoliberal extractivist discourse coalitions—networks of industry advocates that industry has itself helped cultivate over decades. Contexte : Cet article explore les communications sur Facebook faites par des organismes soutenant l’industrie pétrolière au Canada, y compris des groupes financés par l’industrie elle-même et des groupes prétendument indépendants. Analyse : L’article analyse ces groupes en tant qu’engendreurs de « publics subventionnés », où une élite accorde des ressources à des partisans de l’industrie afin qu’ils s’engagent politiquement pour le compte de celle-ci. Une analyse des réseaux sociaux montre comment ces partisans fournissent de l’information provenant de sources différentes à un public favorable à l’industrie pétrolière, créant ainsi des réseaux dont les membres peuvent à leur tour rediffuser des éléments de langage appuyant l’industrie. Conclusions and implications: Les communications de ces partisans sont puissantes dans leur capacité à former des réseaux, encourageant des échanges en vase clos qui exposent les participants à des informations provenant de coalitions d’extractivistes néolibéraux. Quant à ces derniers, c’est l’industrie elle-même qui a cultivé leurs opinions pendant des décennies.

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Using Discourse Network Analysis to Measure Discourse Coalitions: Towards a Formal Analysis of Political Discourse

World Political Science ◽

10.1515/wps-2015-0009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Allan Muller

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Comparative Research ◽

Formal Analysis ◽

Policy Domain ◽

Qualitative Approaches ◽

Discourse Coalitions ◽

Transport Mobility ◽

Scientific Standards ◽

Vast Range

AbstractSince the “argumentative turn” in policy analysis, scholars have increasingly focused on discourse as an explanatory factor for the analysis of policy processes. This has resulted in a proliferation of rich and deep qualitative discourse-analytical studies on a vast range of policy controversies. However, these studies have two important shortcomings: firstly, they offer limited opportunities for comparative research, because they lack an objectified and standardized measuring instrument. Secondly, according to some critics, these studies do not meet scientific standards. In order to respond to these shortcomings, this article presents a method based on a combination of content analysis and social network analysis, which can be complementary to qualitative approaches. It is exemplified by a limited case study on two debates within the policy domain of transport mobility in Flanders. The article concludes with a discussion of a number of possible applications of the method within the broader discipline of political science.

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Using Text Network Analysis in Corpus Studies — A Comparative Study on the 2010 TU-154 Polish Air Force Presidential Plane Crash Newspaper Coverage

International Journal of Social Science and Humanity ◽

10.7763/ijssh.2015.v5.459 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 233-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marta Gruszecka ◽

Michal Pikusa

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Air Force ◽

Newspaper Coverage ◽

Plane Crash ◽

Corpus Studies ◽

Text Network Analysis

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Refugees welcome ? Eine kontrastive Diskursnetzwerkanalyse am Beispiel der deutschen und der slowakischen Einwanderungsdebatte

Germanica Wratislaviensia ◽

10.19195/0435-5865.142.17 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 142 ◽

pp. 255-272

Author(s):

Atilla Mészáros

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

The Other ◽

Research Interest ◽

Special Focus ◽

Text Corpora ◽

Other Hand ◽

Micro Level ◽

Discourse Coalitions

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Flüchtlingsdiskurs mit besonderem Blick auf transnationale Bezüge thematisiert. Die Grundlage dafür bilden deutsche und slowakische Pressetexte. Das Forschungsinteresse gilt dabei den Fragen, a wie die Einstellungen der jeweiligen Gesellschaft gegenüber Flüchtlinge durch die Sprache ausgedrückt werden, b welche Akteure den Diskurs dominieren und c welche Diskurskoalitionen entstehen. Konkrete Analysen werden auf Makro- und Mikroebene durchgeführt. Es werden einerseits zentrale Argumentationsmuster dargestellt, andererseits relevante Diskursakteure und deren Vernetzungen.Refugees welcome ? A contrastive discourse network analysis based on the German and Slovak refugee debateIn this paper refugee discourse with a special focus on transnational aspects is being discussed. It is based on German and Slovakian press articles that are made available in the form of text corpora. The research interest lies in the questions of, a how the positions of the respective community against refugees through language can be expressed, b what actors dominate the discourse and c what type of discourse coalitions arise between them. Factual analyzations are carried out at the macro and micro level. On one hand there are some central argumentation patterns demonstrated, on the other hand relevant discourse actors and their network relationships are presented.

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Discourse Networks and Dual Screening: Analyzing Roles, Content and Motivations in Political Twitter Conversations

Politics and Governance ◽

10.17645/pag.v8i2.2573 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 311-325 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Felix Bossner ◽

Melanie Nagel

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Theoretical Background ◽

High Profile ◽

Media Events ◽

Data Generating Process ◽

Qualitative Work ◽

User Groups ◽

Twitter Users ◽

Discourse Coalitions ◽

Quantitative Approaches

The increasing relevance of social networking platforms is accompanied by a growing number of studies using digital trace data. However, most studies still lack further understanding of the data-generating process. This analytical gap can be directly attributed to the prevalence of quantitative approaches, as only qualitative work is able to generate these insights. The broad methodological toolset of Discourse Network Analysis addresses this shortcoming as it combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The present study therefore employs Discourse Network Analysis in order to (1) determine different user groups’ varying role as senders and recipients of targeted online conversations, (2) identify and compare Twitter users’ (simultaneous) reference to different forms of conversational Twitter content, and to (3) asses the motivation of @message authors to direct particular tweets at particular user groups. To this end, this study analyzes @messages during the <em>BBC</em> program ‘Question Time’ on 2nd of June 2017—the final media encounter of Prime Minister Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn in the context of the 2017 UK election campaign. We draw on the theoretical background of Maarten Hajer’s discourse coalitions approach in order to investigate the preconditions for the formation of discourse coalitions in new and emerging virtual discourse arenas. Thus, our work not only mirrors the focus in existing literature on Twitter usage during high-profile political media events, but also emphasizes Twitter’s unique features for interactive exchange. This article identifies different forms of meta-talk and policy issues, which vary in both their general popularity with Twitter users as well as their interconnectedness. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers the motivation behind the decisions of @message authors to send particular @messages to certain groups of Twitter users. Finally, we could establish that media events only temporarily affect the topical foci of @message authors.

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