Startseite Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse
Kapitel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse

  • Carmen Lee
Weitere Titel anzeigen von John Benjamins Publishing Company
Suche
Conspiracy Theory Discourses
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Conspiracy Theory Discourses

Abstract

This chapter analyzes online reactive comments to news reports on COVID-19 conspiracy theories, with a focus on hate speech on the origin(s) of the coronavirus. Largely mediated by feelings and ‘polarized emotionality’ (Boler and Davis 2018), COVID-origin conspiracy theories mobilize distinct affective publics online: commenters include supporters of China-origin theories and US-origin theories, and non-believers of conspiracy theories respectively. Informed by the theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study explores (i) the emotion-triggering discursive strategies surrounding COVID-origin conspiracy theories and (ii) the linguistic devices that realize these strategies. The analysis is based on 849 reactive comments to five Hong Kong-based COVID-origin news reports posted on Facebook. The study has found that such reactive comments to COVID-origin conspiracy theories share similar discourse strategies with those identified in the literature of discriminatory discourse and (covert) hate speech. Both believers and non-believers of conspiracy theories tap into the topoi of danger and threats, and strategically employ referentials, scare tactics, quasi-fallacious argumentations, and intensification/mitigation to legitimize their ideological stances. These strategies stir up negative emotions channeled through COVID-origin conspiracy theories. This chapter reveals the intricate relationship of conspiracy theories, affect, and hate speech in mediatized society.

Abstract

This chapter analyzes online reactive comments to news reports on COVID-19 conspiracy theories, with a focus on hate speech on the origin(s) of the coronavirus. Largely mediated by feelings and ‘polarized emotionality’ (Boler and Davis 2018), COVID-origin conspiracy theories mobilize distinct affective publics online: commenters include supporters of China-origin theories and US-origin theories, and non-believers of conspiracy theories respectively. Informed by the theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study explores (i) the emotion-triggering discursive strategies surrounding COVID-origin conspiracy theories and (ii) the linguistic devices that realize these strategies. The analysis is based on 849 reactive comments to five Hong Kong-based COVID-origin news reports posted on Facebook. The study has found that such reactive comments to COVID-origin conspiracy theories share similar discourse strategies with those identified in the literature of discriminatory discourse and (covert) hate speech. Both believers and non-believers of conspiracy theories tap into the topoi of danger and threats, and strategically employ referentials, scare tactics, quasi-fallacious argumentations, and intensification/mitigation to legitimize their ideological stances. These strategies stir up negative emotions channeled through COVID-origin conspiracy theories. This chapter reveals the intricate relationship of conspiracy theories, affect, and hate speech in mediatized society.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. Conspiracy theory discourses 1
  5. Part I. Conspiracy theories
  6. Chapter 2. A corpus-driven exploration of conspiracy theorising as a discourse type 25
  7. Chapter 3. Is my mobile phone listening to me? 49
  8. Chapter 4. “Go ahead and ‘debunk’ truth by calling it a conspiracy theory” 71
  9. Chapter 5. “You want me to be wrong” 99
  10. Chapter 6. Fake conspiracy 121
  11. Part II. Conspiracy theory-related communicative phenomena
  12. Chapter 7. Exploring the echo chamber concept 143
  13. Chapter 8. “If you can’t see the pattern here, there’s something wrong” 169
  14. Chapter 9. Complementary concepts of disinformation 193
  15. Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse 215
  16. Part III. Social media and conspiracy theories
  17. Chapter 11. The ID2020 conspiracy theory in YouTube video comments during COVID-19 241
  18. Chapter 12. #conspiracymemes 267
  19. Chapter 13. The New World Order on Twitter 295
  20. Part IV. Stancetaking and (de-)legitimation within conspiracy and anti-conspiracy discourses
  21. Chapter 14. Expressing stance towards COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Macedonian online forum discussions 319
  22. Chapter 15. Ideologies and the representation of identities in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories 343
  23. Chapter 16. Collective identities in the online self-representation of conspiracy theorists 365
  24. Part V. Political and international dimensions of conspiracy theories
  25. Chapter 17. Anti-Sorosism 395
  26. Chapter 18. “These cameras won’t show the crowds” 421
  27. Chapter 19. From strategic depiction of conspiracies to conspiracy theories 443
  28. Chapter 20. “Gender ideology” and the discursive infrastructure of a transnational conspiracy theory 465
  29. Epilogue. Beyond discourse theory in the conspiratorial mode? 489
  30. Notes on contributors 495
  31. Index 505
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.98.10lee

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. Conspiracy theory discourses 1
  5. Part I. Conspiracy theories
  6. Chapter 2. A corpus-driven exploration of conspiracy theorising as a discourse type 25
  7. Chapter 3. Is my mobile phone listening to me? 49
  8. Chapter 4. “Go ahead and ‘debunk’ truth by calling it a conspiracy theory” 71
  9. Chapter 5. “You want me to be wrong” 99
  10. Chapter 6. Fake conspiracy 121
  11. Part II. Conspiracy theory-related communicative phenomena
  12. Chapter 7. Exploring the echo chamber concept 143
  13. Chapter 8. “If you can’t see the pattern here, there’s something wrong” 169
  14. Chapter 9. Complementary concepts of disinformation 193
  15. Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse 215
  16. Part III. Social media and conspiracy theories
  17. Chapter 11. The ID2020 conspiracy theory in YouTube video comments during COVID-19 241
  18. Chapter 12. #conspiracymemes 267
  19. Chapter 13. The New World Order on Twitter 295
  20. Part IV. Stancetaking and (de-)legitimation within conspiracy and anti-conspiracy discourses
  21. Chapter 14. Expressing stance towards COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Macedonian online forum discussions 319
  22. Chapter 15. Ideologies and the representation of identities in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories 343
  23. Chapter 16. Collective identities in the online self-representation of conspiracy theorists 365
  24. Part V. Political and international dimensions of conspiracy theories
  25. Chapter 17. Anti-Sorosism 395
  26. Chapter 18. “These cameras won’t show the crowds” 421
  27. Chapter 19. From strategic depiction of conspiracies to conspiracy theories 443
  28. Chapter 20. “Gender ideology” and the discursive infrastructure of a transnational conspiracy theory 465
  29. Epilogue. Beyond discourse theory in the conspiratorial mode? 489
  30. Notes on contributors 495
  31. Index 505
Jetzt anmelden und 20% sparen
Institutioneller Zugang
Wie funktioniert Authentifizierung?
Haben Sie eine Idee, wie wir unsere Website verbessern können?
Bitte schreiben Sie uns.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Heruntergeladen am 23.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/dapsac.98.10lee/html
Button zum nach oben scrollen