The power to control Discourse is the power to maintain distinct discursive practices with particular ideological agendas prevailing others, including oppositional practices (Fairclough,1995a). Media discourse thus is a powerful tool in the creation and maintenance of the hegemony of a preferred Discourse. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) aspires to disclose discursive practices that involve unequal relations of power and aim to contribute to social change by creating more equal power relations (Jorgensen & Phillips, 2002). The present study, by using CDA, aims to understand the role of the media in the selling of the war on Iraq by looking at Time magazine articles prior to the war in contrast with President George W. Bush speeches during the same period. The major themes found were patriotism, the Discourse of fear, glorification of the army, polarization of us vs. them, the "if" Discourse and trivialization of war. The findings suggest that there is an influence from the presidential Discourse reflected in the Discourse presented by the magazine as well as some themes that are only present in the magazine and also serve to the same end of shaping the public support for the war.

The principal objective of this thesis is to explore the representation of China in British television documentaries broadcast between 1980 and 2000, focusing on historical documentaries. The thesis addresses, as its primary research questions and on the basis of substantial database, what is represented, how that representation is realised, and the social, historical influences which contextualise and underpin the representation of China. These questions relating to textual representation are framed within the wider context of Sino-Western relations, Western self-perceptions and conceptions of China. The study aims to reveal mechanisms of textual representation by concentrating on two main dimensions: the internal narrative structures and key discursive formations of the documentary text (including visuals), and structures of power relations operating to shape the representation in both the textual domain of meaning mediation and institutional domain of documentary production. Two aspects of the representation are foregrounded: China as a civilisation and China as a Communist `other'. The thesis focuses primarily on the narrative as a methodology in approaching representation, as documentary achieves meaning mainly through the stories it tells. Two dimensions of narrative are explored: a structuralist dimension drawing on theories developed by Propp and Silverstone, and a discursive dimension which is framed within Foucault's concept of power and knowledge. Extensive primary research established the database for the study, which is made up of 170 documentaries broadcast during the sample period between 1980 and 2000, and 18 field interviews with key personnel in broadcasting and production companies. The thesis argues that the British television documentary representation presents a largely Western understanding of China filtered through, among other things, selfperceptions and conceptions of the `other', and mediated by various sources of power. The process of representing `what is China' is enmeshed with the process of constructing how China should be viewed. The result of this social construction of truth and knowledge is that certain values, convictions, and ideologies are reinforced and reproduced in the vital domain of documentary representation

Energy and transportation are topics of great importance to global sustainable development.  Tesla Motor Corporation is an electric vehicle company with the objective to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” (Musk, 2016).  This thesis, a media discourse analysis, examines media texts concerning Tesla Motors to provide a better understanding of the company’s hitherto success in penetrating the automotive market.  Qualitative analyses of text were utilized to first define the discourse, then to describe how it has contributed to Tesla’s success.  A combination of word frequency analysis, textual analysis for positive modality, and analysis for principles of branding was utilized as method.  A sample set of 15 texts were analyzed to define the macro discourse, and one interview of Elon Musk analyzed closely to explicate how the textual content contributes to the company’s success. The results of a word frequency analysis suggest that Elon Musk’s personal narrative represents the discourse surrounding Tesla Motors and that it contributes to the company’s success via being imbued with authoritybuilding, trust building, and branding content.

This paper examines the interrelations of whiteness, gender, class and nationalism as represented in popular media discourses surrounding the coverage of the assault on Olympic ice skater Nancy Kerrigan and the investigation of her rival, Tonya Harding. As with other recent works that have refocused the issue of "race" on whiteness, this essay seeks to unveil the exclusionary social processes in which boundaries are set and marked within the "difference" of whiteness. The concepts of habitus and historicity are used to understand how Tonya Harding became marked as "white trash," and the implications of her "flawed" qualifications are explored. Furthermore, this paper identifies ongoing ideological struggles over moral regulation and reproduction of the nation and its subjects.

This thesis is a contribution to the research of media discourse. During the last decades the media landscape has changed dramatically. These changes have been especially evident in German TV programs and the rise of private TV channels. The purpose of this thesis is to explore some of these changes more thoroughly, focusing on the live TV coverage of three soccer matches during the Soccer World Cups of 1974 and 2006 in Germany. The major research question is how these commentaries changed over the years. The thesis analyses how the reporters describe the players, the team and the coach, as well as the sport and the match itself. The relationships between the reporters and their respective audiences as well as the changing functions of the reporters are subsequently examined. The methodological approach used is Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2001; Fowler 1985; van Dijk, 2001). It provides a framework that allows analysing of language in its cultural and social context. Hence, discourse is seen as “language as a form of social practice” (Fairclough, 2001, p.18). Cultural and social contexts as well as extralinguistic factors such as images and sounds are also considered part of the discourse. The overall results indicate that in 2006 soccer has taken on greater importance in the lives of the audience. Live broadcasts of soccer matches have turned more and more into spectacles. This has led to phenomena such as the media’s growing preoccupation with entertainment (“infotainment”). Besides that, an increased presence of the ‘private’ in the public sphere can be discerned. In conclusion, this thesis identifies five principles prevalent in current live media broadcasts: commercialization, individualization, emotionalization, identification, and globalization. Even though some of these principles had already begun to emerge in the 1974 broadcast, their presence in 2006 attests to their increased importance in the German media landscape over time.

This thesis is a contribution to the research of media discourse. During the last decades the media landscape has changed dramatically. These changes have been especially evident in German TV programs and the rise of private TV channels. The purpose of this thesis is to explore some of these changes more thoroughly, focusing on the live TV coverage of three soccer matches during the Soccer World Cups of 1974 and 2006 in Germany. The major research question is how these commentaries changed over the years. The thesis analyses how the reporters describe the players, the team and the coach, as well as the sport and the match itself. The relationships between the reporters and their respective audiences as well as the changing functions of the reporters are subsequently examined. The methodological approach used is Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2001; Fowler 1985; van Dijk, 2001). It provides a framework that allows analysing of language in its cultural and social context. Hence, discourse is seen as “language as a form of social practice” (Fairclough, 2001, p.18). Cultural and social contexts as well as extralinguistic factors such as images and sounds are also considered part of the discourse. The overall results indicate that in 2006 soccer has taken on greater importance in the lives of the audience. Live broadcasts of soccer matches have turned more and more into spectacles. This has led to phenomena such as the media’s growing preoccupation with entertainment (“infotainment”). Besides that, an increased presence of the ‘private’ in the public sphere can be discerned. In conclusion, this thesis identifies five principles prevalent in current live media broadcasts: commercialization, individualization, emotionalization, identification, and globalization. Even though some of these principles had already begun to emerge in the 1974 broadcast, their presence in 2006 attests to their increased importance in the German media landscape over time.

No description available.

The Inuit have experienced significant cultural changes since initial contact with European settlers and explorers in the 17th Century, changes that accelerated in the mid- 20th century. Basing their relationships to the Inuit in imperialism (the policy and practice of empire expansion), Europeans used political, economic and cultural tactics to swiftly establish a cultural hierarchy and solidify the Inuit’s position as ‘The Other’ – an ‘out-group’ viewed as inherently inferior to the ‘in-group’. The Arctic has remained hierarchized because of implicit settler colonial processes that permeate political and cultural relations and underpin modern policy development. An examination of the nutrition transition – the shift away from traditional foods to commercialized market options – brings these implicit settler colonial processes into focus. The transition to a Western diet has accompanied chronic poverty and provoked high levels of food insecurity, resulting in numerous negative health outcomes among Inuit. Current health promotion initiatives employ an ineffective downstream approach to reduce Nunavut food insecurity – which is approximately three times greater than the Canadian average – when the issue is a result of rampant poverty. Disproportionately high rates of food insecurity are a manifestation of settler colonialism and fuel a covertly racist national attitude toward the Inuit, maintaining their marginalized position. This study examines national coverage of Nunavut food insecurity as presented in two of Canada’s most widely read newspapers: The Globe and Mail and National Post. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) was employed to analyze 24 articles, 19 from The Globe and Mail and 5 from National Post. Analysis suggests national print media propagates the Inuit’s position as The Other by selectively reporting on social issues such as hunger, poverty and income. Terms such as “Northerners” and “Southerners” are frequently used to categorically separate Nunavut from the rest of Canada and Inuit-driven efforts to resolve their own issues are widely ignored. This effectively portrays the Inuit as helpless and the territory as a failure, and allows Canadians to maintain colonialist views of Inuit inferiority and erroneously assume Federal initiatives effectively address Northern food insecurity. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-02-27 10:52:16.947

Esta tesis trata de profundizar en la construcción discursiva de «Europa» en el discurso mediatizado ucraniano de las élites políticas. El estudio se basa en la idea de que Europa ha sido durante mucho tiempo un importante punto geográfico de referencia socio-político y cultural de la sociedad ucraniana. Como tal, se ha convertido en un referente fundamental en el discurso público ucraniano. En consecuencia, el estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la representación de "Europa" como elemento destacado en el discurso de las élites políticas de Ucrania. En particular, el trabajo analiza qué identidades de Europa, qué percepción de Europa y qué relaciones con Europa están construyendo los políticos ucranianos en su discurso mediatizado. La tesis analiza un caso particular de dicho discurso. En concreto, se trata del popular programa de televisión de entrevistas políticas, conducido por Savik Shuster, que ha sido difundido en cuatro canales de televisión ucranianos bajo diferentes títulos desde septiembre de 2005. El estudio abarca un período posterior a la Orange Revolution en Ucrania, que conllevó la asunción del modelo europeo en el discurso público ucraniano. El marco de análisis (2005 – 2010) abarca los cuatro años de la Orange Revolution y el primer año de la presidencia de Viktor Yanukovych. Así, el estudio tiene como objetivo explorar los patrones fundamentales de la construcción discursiva de la noción de Europa, así como los posibles cambios discursivos con respecto a Europa en la post revolución ucraniana. La investigación está, en gran medida, orientada por un marco teórico y metodológico del análisis crítico del discurso (ACD). Al emplear el marco del ACD, el estudio investiga tanto el contenido del discurso analizado como las convenciones que configuran el discurso dentro de un amplio contexto socio-político. Los resultados del análisis del discurso mediatizado de las élites políticas de Ucrania han establecido que la noción de Europa es un significante muy controvertido en el discurso político ucraniano, evidenciándose en abundantes referencias a Europa en contextos múltiples, por un lado, y las representaciones competitivas de Europa , en el otro. El estudio ha identificado una amplia gama de referencias a Europa, que implican diferentes modalidades y dimensiones de las representaciones discursivas. En particular, Europa es más comúnmente conocida en situaciones de este tipo: "Europa como modelo y fuente de norma(s)”, "Europa como una civilización avanzada” y “Europa como polo geopolítico". El marco geopolítico de las referencias a Europa, en particular, sugiere que compiten representaciones de Europa, que van desde un "punto de destino" a un "supresor de Ucrania". Aparte de las representaciones competitivas de Europa, el discurso analizado se caracteriza por un alto grado de ambigüedad, que ilustra las actitudes ambivalentes y orientaciones de la política exterior de la opinión pública ucraniana, pasando por el complejo proceso de construcción de la identidad nacional. Al mismo tiempo, el análisis sugiere que las élites políticas ucranianas utilizan la ambigüedad para transmitir sus representaciones de Europa. El estudio también ha apuntado que el talk show de Savik Shuster ha contribuido a la ambigüedad de esas representaciones de Europa construidas por las élites políticas de Ucrania, en gran parte debido a las pocas restricciones en la interacción con el programa de entrevistas y a la multiplicidad de formulaciones estratégicas y referencias retóricas a Europa que, en gran medida, implican connotaciones ambiguas. / This thesis attempts to explore discursive construction of ‘Europe’ in the mediatized discourse of Ukrainian political elites. The study rests on the assumption that Europe has long been a significant geographical, socio-political and cultural reference point for Ukrainian society. As such, it has turned into a crucial signifier in Ukrainian public discourse. Accordingly, the study aims at analyzing representation of ‘Europe’ as a signifier in the discourse of Ukrainian political elites. In particular, the study analyzes what identities of Europe, perceptions of Europe and relations to Europe are being constructed by Ukrainian politicians in their mediatized discourse. The thesis examines one particular instance of mediatized discourse, that is, the case of a popular political television talk show, hosted by Savik Shuster, which has been broadcasted on four Ukrainian TV channels under different titles since September 2005. The study covers a post-Orange period in Ukraine, as the Orange Revolution brought reinvigoration of ‘European choice’ notion into Ukrainian public discourse. The time frame of analysis, 2005- 2010, embraces the four years of the ‘Orange’ leadership in power and the first year of the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych. Thus, the study aims at exploring key patterns of discursive construction of ‘Europe’, as well as possible discursive shifts with regard to ‘Europe’ in the post-Orange Ukraine. The research is largely guided by a theoretical and methodological framework of the critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach. By employing the CDA framework, the study investigates both, the content of the analyzed discourse, and conventions shaping discourse within a broader socio-political context. Analysis of the mediatized discourse of Ukrainian political elites has established that Europe is a much-contested signifier in the Ukrainian political discourse, which is evidenced by abundant references to ‘Europe’ within multiple contexts, on the one hand, and competitive representations of ‘Europe’, on the other. The study has identified a broad range of references to ‘Europe’ entailing different modes and dimensions of discursive representations. In particular, ‘Europe’ is most commonly referred to within such frames: ‘Europe as a model and a source of norm(s), ‘Europe as an advanced civilization’ and ‘Europe as a geopolitical pole’. The geopolitical framework of references to ‘Europe’ particularly suggests competing representations of ‘Europe’, ranging from a ‘destination point’ to a ‘rejector of Ukraine’. Apart from competitive representations of Europe, the analyzed discourse with regard to ‘Europe’ is characterized by a great degree of ambiguity, which illustrates ambivalent attitudes and foreign policy orientations of Ukrainian public undergoing complex process of national identity construction. At the same time, analysis suggests that Ukrainian political elites utilize the discussed ambiguity to convey their representations of Europe as commonsensical. The study has demonstrated that the analyzed discursive setting of the talk show has also contributed to the ambiguity of representations of ‘Europe’ constructed by Ukrainian political elites as the latter are largely unconstrained in their interaction in the talk show and widely resort to strategic formulations and rhetorical references to ‘Europe’, which largely entail ambiguous connotations.

Contemporary urban planning emphasizes the need for practice to be collaborative and communicative. It stresses on the importance of public engagement and participation. To ensure informed participation, planners need to provide relevant information to the public. However, the relevance of that information depends on an understanding of the existing discourse about the issue of interest. My research examined Transit City as a case study to demonstrate how that understanding can be gained. The question that framed the research was: What are the characteristics of discourses surrounding urban planning issues? The research focused on examining media coverage to gain that understanding for two reasons. Firstly, the media are considered to be the main purveyors of public discourse. However, there are limitations in the way they represent issues as this research found. Secondly, the media play an informant role, however imperfectly, on topics that matter. In part, this role gives them their importance and influence. The research examined media discourse surrounding Transit City in 94 articles in National Post, the Toronto Star, CUTA Forum, and Ontario Planning Journal to answer the research question. Discourse analysis was used as a method to investigate the topic under the framework of interpretive policy analysis. The research found that four of the media outlets used discursive practices of representation that highlighted certain themes and excluded others. It also found that the discursive communities that were identified in the media discourse interpreted Transit City differently through their discursive frames that were informed by their interest and responsibility in regards to Transit City and their core belief systems. As such their “argumentative logic” highlighted some aspects of Transit City and excluded others in the debate that ensued. The understanding of such characteristics of discourse can help planners in two ways. First, it informs the planning and the tailoring of messages they relay to discursive communities of various relevance. It allows them to have a stronger participation in the shaping of media discourse and generation of informed debate in the public as well as the professional sphere. Second, it can help planners in developing solutions to address points of controversy and bridge differences among stakeholders effectively in their role as mediators and consensus builders. Both benefits have positive implications in creating informed participation and making the planning process a collaborative and communicative effort.