A typology of alternative online political media in the United Kingdom: A longitudinal content analysis (2015–2018)

Alternative online political media (AOPM) have become increasingly prominent elements of the media system in many countries. In response, numerous academic studies have examined the nature of these newer forms of alternative media. In line with this recent scholarship, in this study we carry out a longitudinal and systematic content analysis of nine AOPM websites in the United Kingdom (UK) ( N = 3452) between 2015 and 2018. Overall, we found a diversity of content, contrasting values and degrees of partisanship, which we develop into a typology of outlets. This includes four overlapping areas: electoral hyperpartisans, cultural partisans, political cycle specialists and vernacular macro-blogs. We conclude by recommending that scholars need to develop more detailed content analyses in order to better understand online alternative media, their interactions with the wider media system, and the system itself.

Of Passport and Politics: Faith and Politics Among the ‘Neo-Salafis’ of South India

There is a major assumption regarding the politics of the neo-Salafis in South India (especially in Kerala) widely shared in the political, media and academic circles; their everyday life and religiosity do not provide a conscious address to things such as state and politics and they are confined to the social and religious sphere rather than the political one . The recurring question in this study is, therefore, how to make sense of the political expressions of a group, which apparently shows no direct inclination towards the ‘mainstream’ politics. This study also tries to address the ambiguity about the role of Salafi ideology in everyday conduct of politics among the neo-Salafis. What is the position of Salafism in the scheme of political thinking and how it relates to the political imagination of neo-Salafis, are examined taking cues from the experience of some of the neo- Salafist groups, which keep a strong open disbelief in the secular polity.

Intentional and stylistic features of the political media texts

С целью исследования языка и стиля политических медиатекстов рассматриваются приемы реализации интенции убеждения, которая выступает в качестве одного из наиболее важных коммуникативных факторов современного медиадискурса. Эффективность применения интенционального метода обусловлена тем, что он позволяет описать не только лингвостилистические, но и лингвопрагматические особенности продуктов медиадискурса, возникающие в результате взаимодействия массмедиа с политической сферой общества. В результате исследования установлено, что политические тексты массмедиа отличаются повышенной метафоричностью и повышенной эмоциональностью, обусловленной прагматической ориентацией на суггестивное воздействие, которое во многом продиктовано коммуникативными намерениями авторов. We consider the methods of implementing the intent of persuasion, which acts as one of the most important communicative factors of modern media discourse in order to study the language and the style of political media texts. The effectiveness of the intentional method is due to the fact that it allows us to describe not only the linguistic-stylistic, but also the linguistic-pragmatic features of the media discourse products that arise as a result of the interaction of the mass media with the political sphere of society. As a result of the study, it was found that the political texts of the mass media are characterized by increased metaphoricity and increased emotionality, due to the pragmatic orientation to the suggestive effect largely dictated by the communicative intentions of the authors.

Censorship and self-censorship in the modern political media discourse of the USA and Russia: comparative linguocultural aspect

This article is devoted to studying of the phenomenon of censorship and self-censorship in the modern American and Russian political media discourse. The authors analyse the pre-election speeches and the publications in the social networks of K. A. Sobchak and V. V. Zhirinovsky, as well as of D. Trump and H. Clinton. The purpose of the article, which consists in conducting a comparative linguocultural study of the mechanisms of censoring and self-censoring information in the modern American and Russian political media discourse, is achieved by using a comparative method, linguocultural analysis, a complex method of lexical and semantic, stylistic, interpretive, and emotive analysis. The analysis of the material shows that traditional forms of censorship in Russian political media discourse are not identified, but they can be found in the media space of the USA, causing a relatively weak public reaction among the communicators. In media space of the USA and Russia, the absence of formal external censorship restrictions leads to the updating of self-censorship to maintain the integrity of the manifestations of the language personality of a politician. Censorship in modern American and Russian media environment lies in such a structuring of information, that deliberately prevents the addressee from interpreting the information in an undesirable way. Self-censorship in modern media environment of the USA and Russia is characterized by an increase of the volume of information and the relative preservation of its valuable aspect. In addition, media discourse can be implicitly censored by filtering the comments under social media publications or by artificially increasing the number of approving reactions to them (by getting «cheat likes»). Self-censorship may use some features of the response to visual elements, when the picture and text supplement each other, causing the desired for the addressee emotional response. Hypertext can also direct the emotional response in the desirable direction, referring to the beneficial for the addressee elements of media discourse.

REPRESENTATION OF EVENTS IN THE AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA DISCOURSE

Постановка задачи. В работе на материале статей из американского новостного медиадискурса исследуются лексико-семантические аспекты метафор, метафорических моделей и тематических групп, относящихся к антропоморфной метафоре, поскольку метафорический перенос, основанный на свойствах человека и его деятельности, является одним из самых распространенных инструментов манипуляции сознанием. Результаты. В статье анализируются основные характеристики медиадискурса как средства обмена информацией. Также рассмотрены метафоры с точки зрения лексико-семантического подхода. Обоснована целесообразность анализа антропоморфной метафоры в рамках политического медиадискурса, так как политические процессы представлены с учетом симплификации и отождествления с человеческим организмом. Выявлено шесть наиболее распространенных тематических групп, составляющих антропоморфную метафору: соматическая, социальная, бытовая, религиозная, сексуальная и эмоциональная. В свою очередь, они подразделяются на такие подгруппы как части тела и органы человека, криминал, социальная иерархия, строительство, земледелие, кулинария, клиннинг, рай и ад. Выводы. Использование антропоморфной метафоры в политическом медиадискурсе обусловлено необходимостью воздействия на реципиента путем метафорического переноса близких ему, наивных явлений из повседневной жизни на политические процессы внутри и за пределами страны. Наибольшее количество примеров насчитывают соматическая, социальная и бытовая тематические группы, что указывает на тенденцию представления новостных событий путем их имплицитного сравнения с устройством и функционированием человеческого организма, рутиной и межличностными отношениями. Statement of the problem. The paper uses the material of articles from the American news media discourse to explore the lexical and semantic aspects of metaphors, metaphorical models and thematic groups related to anthropomorphic metaphor, since this figure of speech based on the properties of people and their activities is one of the most common tools for manipulating consciousness. Results. The article analyzes the main characteristics of media discourse as a means of information exchange. Metaphors are also examined from the point of view of the lexico-semantic approach. The expediency of the analysis of the anthropomorphic metaphor within the framework of the political media discourse is justified, since political processes are presented taking into account the simplification and identification with the human body. The six most common thematic groups that constitute the anthropomorphic metaphor are the following: somatic, social, household, religious, sexual, and emotional. Then, they are divided into such subgroups as human body parts and organs, crime, social hierarchy, construction, agriculture, cooking, clinning, heaven and hell. Conclusion. The use of anthropomorphic metaphors in political media discourse is conditioned by the necessity to influence a recipient through implicit comparison of some naive phenomena from everyday life with political processes inside and outside the country. The largest number of examples are found in the somatic, social, and household thematic groups, that indicates a tendency to present news by implicitly equating them to the structure and functions of human body, routine, and interpersonal relationships.

Book Review of Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement

A book review of Routledge Studies in media, communication, and politics, titled 'Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement' by Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarnøe, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, Claes de Vreese. The book mainly discusses how different each generation from Baby Boomers to Generation Z uses media to obtain political news and engage with civic. This book would be an appropriate resource for future study of generational engagement with politics and civics.

Book Review of Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement

A book review of Routledge Studies in media, communication, and politics, titled 'Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement' by Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarnøe, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, Claes de Vreese. The book mainly discusses how different each generation from Baby Boomers to Generation Z uses media to obtain political news and engage with civic. This book would be an appropriate resource for future study of generational engagement with politics and civics.