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Political Persuasion

Political Persuasion. Tom Skehan CLCS 1103W. Complexity of Language. Words do not directly mirror ideas. One can say one thing while meaning another. Vastly different reactions can come from statements and speeches.

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Political Persuasion

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  1. Political Persuasion Tom Skehan CLCS 1103W

  2. Complexity of Language • Words do not directly mirror ideas. • One can say one thing while meaning another. • Vastly different reactions can come from statements and speeches. • Language can be manipulated to further an agenda or allow for support behind a controversial policy. • How do politicians and the media use language persuade the public?

  3. News “Experts” • Citizens look to the news for in depth analysis on political moves from recognized figures. • A company’s appointed journalist’s opinions are often held to a higher authority by the public. • A power distance relationship is established between the public and the media; what the media says can replace direct research and be very influential. • News stations and newspapers market target audiences to promote their ideas. • There has been an increased tendency to report on politics as strategic political communication rather than a struggle on the actual issues at hand” (Horsbol 2010). • What is repeated and justified by experts in the media can be a major tool and have a drastic affect on pushing certain political agendas.

  4. Precise Wording • Because of the complexity of language and the fact that words do not exactly mirror ideas, actions and policies can be worded in a positive manner to the public to allow for support. • Examples: “Liberation” rather than occupation “Enhanced interrogation techniques” rather than torture “Support our troops” used to suggest any opposition to foreign wars is “unpatriotic” “Spreading democracy” used to allow for unconstitutional wars • Politicians choose their words wisely to gain support of controversial decisions. • Media outlets that back these decisions repeat these phrases until they are accepted. • An alternate view of the truth of a situation is obtained.

  5. Labeling • Labels like conservative and liberal can group a wide range of beliefs together to a narrower view. • Media outlets often group the politicians or followers under these labels, and even have separate liberal or conservative television stations separating people even further. • These terms may not “define a strict set of certain political values that are held to one authority, but instead are constituted by the language that expresses their beliefs” (Lee 2008). • The labels these broad doctrines are given can be manipulated to restrict the various way of thinking that could allow for beneficial improvements to their major belief. • In effect they can cloud an open mind.

  6. Speaking Tactics – Evading a Question • Politicians are able to use the their language to hide their true opinions and intentions from the public. • ShaulShenhav claims there are ways to detect traces of what these politicians are discussing behind closed doors in the speeches they make to the public (2007). • One strategy speakers use to conceal their true positions is evading answering a question. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_nDFKAmCo • When a politician evades a question it may suggest he or she is interested in suppressing the answer or may be completely unknowledgeable on the subject.

  7. Expressing Reservations • Behind closed doors speakers may have very different beliefs than what they fell they must express to the public. • This can be seen when speakers express reservations on the subject at hand such as “while this format is not ideal” and many others.

  8. Conclusion & Message • Politicians rely on language to accomplish their goals. • Assessments taken away by viewers may be clouded by misrepresentations given by those declared as trusted news experts. • Tools to allow for these misrepresentations are labeling to narrow larger viewpoints, precise wording to support controversial and/or illegal acts, blind faith in the media, and speaking evasion tactics. • One must make base their own opinions of individual research and not just what they hear and see on the television and in the newspapers. • Remember, television stations and newspapers are run by large corporations with agendas of their own! • Truth is authority. Authority is not always truth.

  9. References • Anders, Horsbol. Experts in Political Communication: The Construal of Communication Expertise in Primetime Television News. 2010. • Cunningham, Brent. The Rhetoric Beat. Nov/Dec2007, Vol. 46 Issue 4, p36-39, 4p. 2003. • Lee, Michael. Between Rhetoric and Conceptual Change: A Theory of Political Language. 2008. • Picht, Jim. "The Muzzling of Ron Paul and the GOP Debate | Washington Times Communities." Washington Times Communities. 13 Nov. 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/stimulus/2011/nov/13/muzzling-ron-paul-and-gop-debate/>. • Roan, Amanda. A Rhetoric of Change: The Language of the Howard Government's 2005 Work Choices Agenda. • Romagnuolo, Anna. Political discourse in translation: A corpus-based perspective on presidential inaugurals. 2009. • Shenhav, Shaul R. Detecting stories: Revealing hidden ‘voices’ in public political discourse. Journal of Language & Politics; 2007, Vol. 6 Issue 2.

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