Is the media controlling your opinion?
Humans have always been affected by the kind of news and rumours that they have been subjected to. The problem today is that the quantity of news brought by different media, is so vast, and instant available at the click of a mouse, TV remote or smartphone. How do we filter information from attempts at influencing our opinion?
A year ago I was made aware of this problem when teaching a 5th grad in an international school here in Denmark. The lesson objective was to learn about media criticism and how two types of media could have a different political and ideological outlook on the same story (president Obama’s first year in office). In the process of reading the two news articles the pupils were asked to underline words that looked negative or positive. The lesson went well and the students seemed to take an interest in the subject and activity.
It was not until my stay at the Malmö Högskola, where I had my three months foreign exchange program, which I was made aware of the kind of study and theory that lay behind my activity in the 5th grade. The theoretical thinker Norman Fairclough (1977) introduced me to the idea, by saying: Texts can never be understood or analysed in isolation – they can only be understood in relation to webs of other texts and in relation to the social context (Phillips & Jørgensen, Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method. P. 70).
The effect of discourse in our life
Texts can be any spoken, written or audio/visual material that is shared socially, also referred to as a discourse that can be used in communication or debate.
Discourse is used as communicative methods within both language and culture. The idea is that people alter language and language patterns to fit into certain activities in life, interacting socially with others. Most of us would use different patterns of communicating when speaking to a small child, talking to an intimate friend or giving a presentation to colleagues. Marianne Jørgensen explained using discourse as: a particular way of talking about and understanding the world, or an aspect of the word (Marianne Jørgensen, discourse analysis as theory and method.)
Fairclough goes on to explain an discourse as an social construction of reality, and that it is an acquired knowledge that determines what you can say and do in a certain situations /contexts (Gillespie & Toynbee, Analyzing Media Texts p. 122).
Method of analyzing a discourse (power and identity)
When reading e.g. a political media text about President Obama, the purpose of the text is to advance or change my knowledge of the subject (president Obama), as well as the identity that I give him and how I socially connect to him in the future.
Fairclough works with “Critical discourse analysis” as a method of using a detailed textual analysis to understand specific words in a text and their connotation. Connotation can be understood as the social meaning of a word and if it is positively or negatively loaded. E.g. could be if president Obama was being described as a strong-willed person or as a pig-headed, if he didn’t want to change a policy.
Three-dimensional model
When producing a text used for communication, there will according to Fariclough be three dimensions to consider. One is the actual text, it being spoken, written, visual or combined. The second is described as discursive practice or what influences the writing of the text as well as viewing the text. Last part of this three dimensional model is how the text influence the social practice among the group of people it is intended to reach (Marianne Jørgensen, Discourse analysis as theory and method p. 66 -70).
Picture of Fairclughs three dimensional model.
These dimensions lets us understand that all authors draw on existing material (discourses) and genres to create something that gives meaning to the reader. The reader uses the same common references to interpret the text and thereby using intertextuality. When I have read one or more texts about the same subject, I might use this in my social sphere whether it might be politics, work related etc. This opinion that I now express can influence others and their by influencing the next discursive practice (text). Looking at the language structure in a text about President Obama, can help me understand if the text is “reinforcing” or “transforming” the opinion that my social sphere and I have about him.
The three questions
When looking at any media output, - like news transmission or newspaper articles, we as consumers can ask ourselves three questions that will help us understand the purpose of the text.
- Representation
- Identity
- Relationship
Looking at a text about a news event, you can ask yourself the question; how is the world represented in this text? This will give us a clue, if the text is influenced by political opinions, ideologies or religious views and thereby also a possible purpose of the text. The next question can help us reestablish our first assumption. How does the text deal with the identity of the people it encounters or describes? How are they defined (positive vs. negative) is it an “us vs. them” view or is it an analytic approach. Last question can be defined as the relationship between the writer and the audience? Is the text made for a wide range of people or is it narrow and made for a small closed circle of audience. Is there a special power relationship between media and audience?
Money in News
When analyzing text, it is important to look into the relationship between the media and the consumers and how it treats questions like power, ideological goals and money.
First of all, does a given news media look upon us as consumers of information or as consumers of entertainment?
If entertainment is the purpose, then the end user is seen as a person, whom the media has to keep attracted by making easy digestible text and news sensations. If the user keeps staying tuned into the TV/radio station or keeps buying the paper, it will give higher ratings and thus possible to sell more advertisements, to profit the media house.
The type of media that is more concerned about a professional unbiased journalistic approach will make an effort at giving more background information, take several views into consideration and are often less concerned about being first with the story.
Over the last couple of years, with the economic ruin of many news media, we have seen a shift towards the more profitable viewer and reader rating focused model. This has given a change in the focus of the news presentation, making it more about showing braking news and short news stories around the hour.
Media language
Another concern is the language used in many media texts today. One could look into the type of language used in news texts. Is the text full of private conversational idioms, street slang and what might be considered low culture language? Or is the text portraying official language to convey information to its audience? One of the problems with private language is the difficulty keeping it neutral and non bias against the identities it is dealing with and it is often also portraying own preconceptions in relationship towards the subject or/and the audience.
Power relationship
Fairclough is concerned about the question of power in news texts. Previously we have established that texts have an effect on the social system it is aimed at. If a media text is intended to influence politicians or public opinion, then it is important to look at how the text is treating questions of class, gender, ethnicity and religion (Gillespie & Toynbee, Analalysing Media texts p. 129).
For example have certain groups in the Danish society felt that many Danish tabloid media text for long periods of time have been preoccupied with ethnicity and the negative products from that, thereby influencing the tone in the political and public debate.
Another warning to media that more and more focus on entertaining its audience is the vacuum of serious investigating journalism. If the news media is filling its reports with entertaining light stories or journalism concerning famous people private life, then it is at the expense of stories concerning complicated political or economical problems. This means that the public loose insight and power over what real important decisions that the constituted political power makes.
From Micro to Marco level
The question of power is also raised through the use of Fairclouhgs three dimensional model, talked about earlier. By looking at text analysis from first a micro-level together with the first dimension that involves the physical text and the use of language. Looking at how the language influences production and consumption. The next level is the meso-level that involves looking at text production and text consumption, and focusing on how power relations have influenced further out, as well as answering the key concepts of representation, identities and relations in the text. The influence of the meso level is transmitted into the macro –level that consists of social practices in the model and thereby how parts of society are affected.
Analysing language in political texts
In the beginning of the article I talked about using two different texts, both being about the President Obama’s first year in office. The two texts originates from two different news media that normally have different political ideology, one being “The Washington Post” and the other being from “Fox news” website..
The question that I have posed earlier is. Can we see the political standpoint of a text by using critical language analysis? We can begin by using the three questions: What does the text tell us by how is it representing the subject, what do they use to describe the identity of Obama, what is their relationship and impact on society.
Underneath I am going to give examples how to use Faircloughs methods of “critical discourse analysis” when analysing the two texts.
Text 1 (appendix)
The article originates from the political democratic U.S. newspaper “the Washington Post” (3. November 2009).
The headline states “ A world of change in 287 days” referring to president Obama’s slogan during his election campaign “change we can believe in” and the headline reminds us that there has been a great change (world of change) within the first year, giving us an association that the president is keeping his promises and thereby is too be “trusted”.
The article begins by stating that “a healthy majority of American voters elected Barack Obama”... By using the word “healthy” when talking about voters, the writer is using type of word that belongs to a prestigious medical world, and a metaphor that relates to something that is desirable “good health”. This implies that the Obama voters are good people and of a sound mind.
Right after this the article restates the positive headline by saying that” Obama wanted to change. Which is precisely what he’s doing.” aging emphasising a trust relationship.
The writer then lists some of Obama’s actions that he does not agree upon in, but finish the section by wishing more of the presidents rhetorical magic, thereby describe the presidents identity as magical and thereby adding more power to him as a person not only because of his office as president, but also because of his personal abilities. The article then talks about Obama speaking to the better angels of our nature. Again he is given the identity of someone who, by magic power of his person, can make us better people, like angels, almost hinting at something divine in his person.
The things that the president has not done so far is excused by emphasising that the president: is not a Hollywood action hero implying that we have to be realistic.
Later the writer speaks of all the things that President Obama has accomplished by using the word action packed, a metaphor that points back to the president not being a action hero but it implies that he is as close to one as a president come.
What do we get out of it?
The analysis of words in text 1 show that the writer has great admiration of the person he is describing.
The writer describes the person as someone to be “trusted” as someone who healthy voters choose. The writer also sets him on a pedestal using words like “magical” and “action packed” to describe his actions. We must assume that the writer shares the same political ideology of the politician he is describing (the U.S. Democratic party).
Thereby are the words essential for the way that the writer presents “representation” within Fairclough’s media analysis. The world is a place where the person who he is describing, is well on top of the political and social situation of the nation, from a democratic point of view. This also influence the “identity” of the person described, where words and associations like hero, action packed and magical are used around his figure. The relationship is from the political writer to the audience where he is trying to optimistically describe a politician and his positive impact on the world of the audience. At the same time the type of text with its long sentence structure and still strong use of public language, shows that the text is more informational then entertaining and thereby also more intended at a social political practice field.
The texts micro-level language is as pointed out before, is targeted at influencing the user at a meso-level alongside text with a similar political view. This is because the text is confirming, the political conviction of the users reading this democratic news media. At macro-level the text ads to the existing conviction within the social political group of democrats. The text does not try to build bridge between different political convictions, and therefore instead ads to the gap, that today exists between the two political wings.
Text 2 (appendix)
This text was taken from U.S. republican Fox News website (January 2010).
In the beginning of the article the writer describes how the Democratic Party might think. The writer gives the party a “fake” narrated voice that declares we’re in charge that implies that the party is holding on to their power, not being democratic in their politics. The word charge is a loaded word, associated to the use of excessive power and acts of violence.
The next part of the sentence is you’re not happy, implying that the “democrats” know they are making people unhappy, but they don’t care. Last part of sentence is but think of how much unhappier you could be. This sentence again let the writer paint a picture of a political party that don’t care and has no interested in making citizens happy. At the same time applying that citizens are like kids, having to be told what to do for the sake of their own good. Not having the capacity to think of the consequences of their actions.
Next paragraph the political party again is associated with violence and excessive power use when the writer claims the party to have an aggressive policy, backing up the first association he gives.
In the same paragraph the writer associates the political future of the party to have been mirred in anexiety leaving one to think of muddy grounds, and dirty politics, along with a psychological illness that demand medication and professional help from an psychiatrist.
Results of the analysis text 2
By looking at the words and phrases used in this text, it is clear that the writer don’t share the same political ideology of the person and party he is describing. Negative words like not happy and unhappier in the first sentence, show that there is not much joy in letting this party be in charge.
The sentence we’re in charge which the writer wants us to associate with the Democratic Parties rhetoric, along with the word aggressive policy let the party and the president stand out as an ideology of political violence.
Looking at the text with the three questions at hand, The writer is “representing” the world as an unhappy place with an aggressive and violent party and president, that won’t share the power with anyone. The “identity” of both president and the party he leads is portrayed as power desperate, with dirty and psychotic politics. The writer seeks “relationship” to readers of same political ideology as himself in a news media (Fox News) that is well known for its strong political conservative views.
The text is not so much made to entertain a wider audience, but the language is also swinging between privat speech with idioms and slang like we’re in charge, you’re not happy and it’s not exactly bumper-sticker material and then a more public language.
The text aims at the same goals at text 1, by letting the wording and rhetoric at the micro-level text influence the consumer at Meso-level (discursive practice) along with other identical texts. Here aging we are dealing with a text that is clearly aimed at reaching a social political Republican sphere at macro-level and qualifies in destroying any reconciliation between Republicans and Democrats.
Using critical discourse analysis in TEFL
Depending on the level of the students being thought, less or more from this theory can be implemented in the lesson. Some of the important points in this kind of analysis are how to look upon all texts in the future with different eyes, wetter they be written, spoken, visual or audio.
Through this article and the text analysis of the two texts before, we learn to effectively look upon positive or negative connotation that words in a text are given, as well as the meaning of idioms.
The theory of Fairclough teach us to interpreted words, what they mean and how they influence our self , others, the writer and social groups in society. Students can learn that all texts are inspired by previous text, and that new text will inspire future text either positively or negatively. We learn that social groups in society are inspired in their agenda and behaviour by texts aimed at them.
Or as The English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1839) said: pen is mightier than the sword.
Students can discover that media has different agendas when it comes to choosing between entertaining or informing users and that where media entertain, there is not much room for discussing the choices of the elite in power. We are also introduce to medias using certain forms of language and Idioms to give a bias expression of their views and that other media use more public language and stay more neutral.
Teaching in the principles of critical discourse analysis, can be beneficial in both TEFL classes and when teaching interdisciplinary between English and history, civics or Danish.
Literature
- Maria Gillespie and Jason Toynbee, Analysing Media Texts, Open University Press (2006)
- Louise Phillips and Marianne W. Jørgensen, Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method, SAGE Publications 2002 (2004 reprint)
