From COVID-19 to COVID-666: Quasi-religious mentality and ideologies in Nigerian coronavirus pandemic discourse

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Chimuanya ◽  
Ebuka Elias Igwebuike
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
World View ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Frame Theory ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Descriptive Names ◽  
The Devil

In response to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, different religious-immune conspiracy theories emerged to explain the increasing scary situation in Nigeria. Emerging multifarious narratives of the contagion, which are embedded in peculiar Nigerian socio-religiosity and religious economy, reconstructed the discourses into two complexities: corona disease is an invention of the devil and other dark evil forces, and corona disease is a sign of the end of times. The obvious fabrications escalated uncertainties surrounding the pandemic as well as generated anxiety and fears among potential believers who sermonize spiritual vigilance for the ‘final battle and journey’. Drawing insights from critical discourse analysis, moral panic and frame theory, this study explores discursive means through which the pandemic is represented and reconstructed as long-awaited ‘doomsday’ warning in Nigerian online communities. Findings reveal instances of varying descriptive names, lexical derivations and discursive frames that reflect counter belief and quasi-religious ideologies. The study argues that complex religious doctrines rooted in antichrist or mark of the beast view, socio-religious ideologies of dominionism and overcommernism, cultural and personal linguistic processes have all contributed in shaping and institutionalizing the viral ‘apocalyptic’ world-view of the outbreak.

scholarly journals Metaphor, morality and legitimacy: A critical discourse analysis of the media framing of the payday loan industry

Organization ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 802-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Budd ◽  
Darren Kelsey ◽  
Frank Mueller ◽  
Andrea Whittle
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Media Framing ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Moral Problem ◽  
Real Wages ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government ◽  
British Press

This study examines the metaphors used in the British press to characterize the payday loan industry in order to develop our understanding of organizational delegitimation. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and theories of moral panic, we show how the metaphors used in the press framed the industry as a ‘moral problem’. The study identified four root metaphors that were used to undertake moral problematization: predators and parasites, orientation, warfare and pathology. We show how these metaphors played a key role in the construction of a moral panic through two framing functions: first by constructing images of the damage and danger caused by the firms and second by attributing agency in such a way that moral responsibility was assigned to the organizations. We also extend the discussion of our findings to explore the ideological dimensions of the moral panic. We develop a critical analysis that points to the potential scapegoating role of the discourse, which served as a convenient moral crusade for the government and other neo-liberal supporters to pursue, while detracting attention away from the underlying socio-economic context, including austerity policies, the decline in real wages and the deregulation of the finance sector. From this critical perspective, payday loan companies can be seen as a ‘folk devil’ through which society’s fears about finance capitalism are articulated, creating disproportionate exaggeration and alarm, while the system as a whole can remain intact.

Discursive strategies for disinformation on WhatsApp and Twitter during the 2018 Brazilian presidential election

First Monday ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Recuero ◽  
Felipe Soares ◽  
Otávio Vinhas
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Rational Explanation

This paper aims to analyze and compare the discursive strategies used to spread and legitimate disinformation on Twitter and WhatsApp during the 2018 Brazilian presidential election. Our case study is the disinformation campaign used to discredit the electronic ballot that was used for the election. In this paper, we use a mixed methods approach that combined critical discourse analysis and a quantitative aggregate approach to discuss a dataset of 53 original tweets and 54 original WhatsApp messages. We focused on identifying the most used strategies in each platform. Our results show that: (1) messages on both platforms used structural strategies to portray urgency and create a negative emotional framing; (2) tweets often framed disinformation as a “rational” explanation; and, (3) while WhatsApp messages frequently relied on authorities and shared conspiracy theories, spreading less truthful stories than tweets.

scholarly journals Islam in the Digital Films Expose the Good Sides of Muslims

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
Primi Rohimi
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
World View ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Generation Gap ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
Important Message ◽  
Long Run

Film studies mostly show Islam in negative representation. From streaming film website, we can easily find many films that show Muslims stories. For example, Children of Heaven, Le Grand Voyage, My Name is Khan, etc. Those films do not seem to show Muslims as terrorist. They show Muslims life in various cultures and stories. The problem is what good sides of Muslims in the films can counter the negative stereotypes of Muslims in Hollywood images. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, this research exposes the good sides of Muslims in films. There is an Islamic world view in Children of Heaven. Some things may seem bad but then turn out to be good in the long run. My Name is Khan has a very important message about Islam. That is Islam is a peace and love religion. Le Grand Voyage shows a signification generation gap of Muslims. They are secular and devout Muslims. But they can communicate moderately.

scholarly journals Education, Ideology and Social Effigies: Exploring Facets from the English Course Books of the Greek State Primary Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikos Fotopoulos ◽  
Vicky Karra ◽  
Christos Zagkos
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
World View ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Primary State ◽  
Social Events ◽  
State Education ◽  
Cultural Themes

Textbooks are important in many ways as they influence a student or a learner inside and outside school. Since students spend quite some time on textbooks especially in the Greek society, they are regarded more important and influential than friends, teachers, school and classroom activities, games, media and society. What needs to be considered before starting the analysis is the fact that ideology plays a significant role through the process of shaping collective representations. Additionally, it is a way of referring to a world-view of a particular culture due to their drastic impact to social consciousness. It is important to mention here that the term ‘culture’ is used in a broad sense to denote customs, attitudes and perceptions accepted and formed by people of a society, ideas and beliefs. The present article is a critical discourse analysis of ideological contents related to culture in Greek English language books of the Greek primary state education. It critically examines the following books: English 5th Grade and English 6th Grade which are taught in all primary state schools in Greece. The analysis aims at finding out the cultural ideologies which are embedded in the aforementioned textbooks. Fairclough’s analytical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (henceforth CDA) will be partly implemented in order to explore cultural themes related to social events. Related often to CDA, the term ideology does not have an exact meaning or definition since it is looked at differently in several contexts, thus making its perspectives a bit elusive. However, trying to have at least a bit of understanding of it, the objectives of this discourse analysis of the Greek textbooks are: a) to see how far they pose an impact on the learners’ worldviews, b) to examine the relationship between dominant ideology, national identity and textbook content, c) to interpret their role through the educational apparatuses & d) to be aware concerning issues such as leisure time, social and cultural effigies.

Lauren Mayberry vs. 4chan’s online misogyny: A Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Albin Wagener
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Music Video ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Online Misogyny

AbstractThe present paper focuses on a Critical Discourse Analysis of an online discussion opposing 4chan users and pop singer Lauren Mayberry, regarding a video posted on YouTube. The lead singer of the band Chvrches gets targeted for being a feminist activist and appearing in a skimpy dress and occasionally wet hair in a music video, thus raising sexually offensive and negative comments of one of the world’s most prominent online communities. This article uses a methodology combining semantics (

scholarly journals ‘Manufactured hysteria’: audience perceptions of sensationalism and moral panic in Australian news representations of asylum seekers

2019 ◽  
Vol 174 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh L Haw
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Audience Reception ◽  
International News ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Audience Responses

Seeking asylum is a highly polarising topic, exacerbated by news discourses that construct asylum seekers as threats to the nation. National and international news coverage has been said to incite ‘moral panics’ via the use of sensationalised depictions of asylum seekers, however, few studies have examined audience responses. This article discusses the findings of research utilising Critical Discourse Analysis alongside an Audience Reception framework to examine how 24 Western Australians perceive news coverage of asylum seekers. All participants critiqued news constructions of the issue, with many emphasising sensationalism and the incitement of fear as central concerns affecting their trust and engagement with Australian coverage. Analysed with consideration of the ‘moral panic’ and ‘media panic’ literature, these findings demonstrate that sensationalist depictions of asylum seekers are being resisted by audiences. This inclination towards ‘media panics’ over ‘moral panics’ is discussed in terms of its implications for democracy and audience reception scholarship.

scholarly journals Failed Refugee Claimants: Negotiating Rights, Security and Citizenship

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanas Njeru
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Subject Positions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Refugee Claimants ◽  
The Government

Individuals and groups engage discursively in relationships and negotiations as they try to structure and influence the social space where they live. This engagement further constructs the social space through the use of concepts, objects and subject positions. This study examines the representation and construction of failed refugee claimants by the Canadian newsprint media. Through the use of the moral panic as envisioned by Stephen Cohen and others, the study employs critical discourse analysis to reveal complex struggles in the Canadian refugee system through the discursive activity of the government, nonprofit agencies and social networks. The study concludes that a moral panic has occurred in the Canadian refugee system and has resulted in the enactment of a new Canadian refugee system through the passing of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act Bill C-11), Protecting Canada’s Immigration Act (Bill C-31) and the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act (Bill C-43).

scholarly journals Scare-quoting climate: The rapid rise of climate denial in the Swedish far-right media ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-95
Author(s):  
Kjell Vowles ◽  
Martin Hultman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Media Ecosystem

Abstract The final years of the 2010s marked an upturn in coverage on climate change. In Sweden, legacy media wrote more on the issue than ever before, especially in connection to the drought and wildfires in the summer of 2018 and the Fridays for Future movement started by Greta Thunberg. Reporting on climate change also reached unprecedented levels in the growingly influential far-right media ecosystem; from being a topic discussed hardly at all, it became a prominent issue. In this study, we use a toolkit from critical discourse analysis (CDA) to research how three Swedish far-right digital media sites reported on climate during the years 2018–2019. We show how the use of conspiracy theories, anti-establishment rhetoric, and nationalistic arguments created an antagonistic reaction to increased demands for action on climate change. By putting climate in ironic quotation marks, a discourse was created where it was taken for granted that climate change was a hoax.

‘Menacing Youth’ and ‘Broken Families’: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Reporting of the 2011 English Riots in the Daily Express Using Moral Panic Theory

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasbinder S. Nijjar
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Mass Murder ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Future Research

This paper utilises moral panic theory and critical discourse analysis to examine the coverage of the 2011 English riots in the British newspaper, the Daily Express. Findings show that the Daily Express drew on two previous moral panics concerning youngsters and family life to diagnose the riots as a consequence of youth criminality and poor parenting. The newspaper identified young people as folk devils of the unrest by adopting discourses which vilified them, their behaviour and choice of clothing. Furthermore, the Daily Express exaggerated the severity of the disorder by describing it as war and mass murder to reinforce to its readers the supposed threat posed by young people to social relations. Additionally, the newspaper supported politicians who denied structural determinants as causes of the unrest and, instead, blamed micro issues including a decline in ‘traditional’ family life and morals and discipline among youngsters. While some suggest that folk devils are now defended by experts, the Daily Express gave column inches to expert commentators who also pinpointed young people and poor parenting as causes of the disorder. This paper proposes that future research on media coverage of social problems might, in addition to exploring whether the reporting of an issue identifies new anxieties and concerns, examine the extent to which media institutions draw on and modify discourses concerning previous and familiar social anxieties in order to interpret and frame a social problem.

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