The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our everyday lives – from the political to the economic to the social. Using a multimodal discourse analysis approach, this dynamic collection examines various discourses, modes and media in circulation during the early stages of the pandemic, and how these have impacted our daily lives in terms of the various meanings they express. Examples include how national and international news organisations communicate important information about the virus and the crisis, the public’s reactions to such communications, the resultant (counter-)discourses as manifested in social media posts and memes, as well as the impact social distancing policies and mobility restrictions have had on people’s communication and interaction practices. The book offers a synoptic view of how the pandemic was communicated, represented and (re-)contextualised across different spheres, and ultimately hopes to help account for the significant changes we are continuing to witness in our everyday lives as the pandemic unfolds. This volume will appeal primarily to scholars in the field of (multimodal) discourse analysis. It will also be of interest to researchers and graduate students in other fields whose work focuses on the use of multimodal artefacts for communication and meaning making.
Author(s): Sabine Tan, Marissa K. L. E
Series: Routledge Studies In Multimodality
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge | Taylor & Francis Group
Year: 2023
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 293
Tags: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-, In mass media; Discourse Analysis; Modality (Linguistics)
Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Figures
Tables
Contributors
Introduction
1 Discourses, Modes, Media and Meaning in an Era of Pandemic: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis Approach
Introduction
Theoretical Approach
Organisation of the Book
Part I. Use of Semiotic Modes/resources in COVID-19 Discourses
Part II. Use of Media/media Technologies in COVID-19 Discourses
Part III. Communicative Functions/strategies of COVID-19 Discourses
Part IV. Wider Communicative Meanings/purposes of COVID-19 Discourses
References
Part I Use of Semiotic Modes/resources in COVID-19 Discourses
2 ‘Stay at Home’: Speech Acts in Arab Political Cartoons On the COVID-19 Pandemic
Introduction
Theoretical Framework
Speech Acts
Metaphor
Metaphor and Speech Acts
Corpus and Methodology
Multimodal Metaphor Identification
Assessment of Relevance
Fine-tuning the Analysis
Identification of Nonverbal Performatives
Assessing Relevance
Fine-tuning the Analysis
Application
Performative Metaphors in the Time of Pandemic
Accusing
Ordering and Warning
Thanking and Complaining
Conclusion
References
3 Communication as ‘Graphic Medicine’: A Multimodal Social Semiotic Approach
Introduction
Singapore Public Health Communication of COVID-19-Related Information
Comics and Public Health Communication
Comics and COVID-19 Public Health Communication
Theoretical Approach
Data: “The COVID-19 Chronicles”
Analysis
#8 Mouthwash and Other Myths
#40 Working Together to Keep Everyone Safe
#42 Life in the Dormitories
#70 Having Fun With Masks
#78 COVID-19 Virus-Airborne?
Discussion
Limitations
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part II Use of Media/media Technologies in COVID-19 Discourses
4 Design Considerations for Digital Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Losses and Gains
Introduction
Challenges to Teaching During the Pandemic
Designing Digital Learning With Semiotic Technologies
Videos for Learning
Knowledge Representation
Pedagogic Interaction
Learning Experience
Games for Learning
Knowledge Representation
Pedagogic Interaction
Learning Experience
Social Media for Learning
Knowledge Representation
Pedagogic Interaction
Learning Experience
Losses and Gains in Digital Learning
Post-pandemic Education Normal
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
5 Phraseology and Imagery in UK Public Health Agency COVID-19 Tweets
Introduction
General Research Aims/questions
Literature Review
Language, Corpora and COVID-19
Phraseology and N-Grams
Multimodality
Specific Research Questions
Methodology
Data Collection
Language Analysis
Image Analysis
Language and Image Analysis
Results and Discussion
RQ1 What Are the Most Frequent N-Grams in a Corpus of Tweets From UK Public Health Agencies in the First 11 Months of …
RQ2 Which Images Are Associated With These N-Grams?
RQ3 How Do These Frequent N-Grams and Images Typically Function in this Data?
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Notes
References
Part III Communicative Functions/strategies of COVID-19 Discourses
6 Australian Universities Engaging International Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Multimodal Public …
Introduction
Conceptualising Engagement as Situated Discursive Practices
Method
Research Design
Data Collection and Analysis
Inter-rater Reliability Procedures
Findings of the Three Case Studies
The Case of the University of New England (UNE)
Background and Data Sources
Findings From the Linguistic Texts
Findings From the Images
The Case of Curtin University
Background and Data Sources
Findings From the Linguistic Texts
Findings From Video Messages
The Case of the University of Sydney (USyd)
Background and Data Sources
Findings From the Linguistic Texts
Findings From Video Messages
Discussion and Conclusions
References
7 “We Are in this Together”: Cultural Branding and Affective Activations in a Pandemic Context
Introduction
Branding as Co-Creative Cultural Process
Branding as Affective Process
Analysis
Discussion
Conclusion
Notes
References
8 Defamiliarise to Engage the Public: A Multimodal Study of a Science Video About COVID-19 On Chinese Social Media
Introduction
Science Communication
Science Communication in the Pandemic
Science Communication On Social Media
Science Communication Videos
Theoretical Approach
Defamiliarisation as a Rhetorical Strategy and Social Semiotics
Data and Method
Analysis
Video Structure
Modality
Voice of Authority and Nostalgia
Unexpectedness
Discussion
Limitations
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Notes
References
9 Beyond Reporting: The Communicative Functions of Social Media News During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Introduction
Data and Analytical Method
Analysis
Overview of Social Semiotic Activities
Sharing Activity
Reporting Activity
Recommending Activity
Expounding Activity
Discussion
Conclusion
References
10 Exploring Strategies of Multimodal Crisis and Risk Communication in the Business and Economic Discourses of Global …
Introduction
Literature Review
Review of Crisis Communication Literature
Review of Risk Communication Literature
Method
Analysis
Multimodal Recontextualisation of Risk-Related Social Actors
Multimodal Recontextualisation of Crisis-Related Social Actions
Discussion and Conclusion
References
Part IV Wider Communicative Meanings/purposes of COVID-19 Discourses
11 “Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Make Memes”: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of UK Internet Memes During the COVID-19 …
Introduction
“Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives”
Theory and Methodology
Political Commentary and Delegitimising Discourse
Modes and Resources
Methodology
Analysis
Discussion
RQ1 How Are Multimodal Semiotic Resources Used in “Stay Alert” Memes to Portray the Campaign?
RQ2 What Discursive Strategies Emerge Multimodally in the Design of the Memes?
RQ3 What Do “Stay Alert” Memes Communicate About the Public View of the Government in this Context?
Conclusion
References
12 Everyday Acts of Social-Semiotic Inquiry: Insights Into Emerging Practices From the Research Collective PanMeMic
Introduction
Theoretical and Methodological Underpinnings
Analysis
Emerging Practices in the Making: Co-Constructing Semiotic Knowledge
Negotiation of Practices Between Wonderment and Arrest
Discussion and Conclusion
Notes
References
Index
