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Internet newspaper discussion lists

A virtual political arena?

Abstract

Most internet newspapers offer opportunities to post reactions. In view of their content, these discussions are political in the sense that they concern actual societal issues: internet users may express their civil concerns and opinions. These discussion lists are evaluated regarding the question how readers’ reactions may be used as a source of information about prevalent discourses in society on a certain point in time. This question is addressed on the basis of three specific cases, namely readers’ reactions to news reports about:1. Geert Wilders’s anti-Islam film Fitna (March 2008);2. The broadcast of hidden camera footage of a convict in prison (April 2010);3. A call for a ban on head scarves (March 2011).These lists turn out to be kaleidoscopic at best, useful as preparation for a survey or as an inventory for argumentation.

Abstract

Most internet newspapers offer opportunities to post reactions. In view of their content, these discussions are political in the sense that they concern actual societal issues: internet users may express their civil concerns and opinions. These discussion lists are evaluated regarding the question how readers’ reactions may be used as a source of information about prevalent discourses in society on a certain point in time. This question is addressed on the basis of three specific cases, namely readers’ reactions to news reports about:1. Geert Wilders’s anti-Islam film Fitna (March 2008);2. The broadcast of hidden camera footage of a convict in prison (April 2010);3. A call for a ban on head scarves (March 2011).These lists turn out to be kaleidoscopic at best, useful as preparation for a survey or as an inventory for argumentation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledges vii
  4. Part I. Introduction
  5. Dialogue in politics 3
  6. Part II. Politics as interaction
  7. Internet newspaper discussion lists 21
  8. Political videos in digital news discourse 43
  9. Watch dogs or guard dogs? 69
  10. Types of positioning in television election debates 89
  11. Personal marketing and political rhetoric 113
  12. Private dialogue in public space 127
  13. Part III. Politics as imposition
  14. Perspectivation in the Romanian parliamentary discourse 151
  15. The making of a new American revolution or 'a wolf in sheep’s clothing' 167
  16. Remaking U.S. foreign policy for a new beginning with the Arab and Muslim worlds 193
  17. War-normalizing dialogue (WND) 221
  18. Multimodality and performance 241
  19. Subject index 309
Dialogue in Politics
This chapter is in the book Dialogue in Politics
https://doi.org/10.1075/ds.18.05ens

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledges vii
  4. Part I. Introduction
  5. Dialogue in politics 3
  6. Part II. Politics as interaction
  7. Internet newspaper discussion lists 21
  8. Political videos in digital news discourse 43
  9. Watch dogs or guard dogs? 69
  10. Types of positioning in television election debates 89
  11. Personal marketing and political rhetoric 113
  12. Private dialogue in public space 127
  13. Part III. Politics as imposition
  14. Perspectivation in the Romanian parliamentary discourse 151
  15. The making of a new American revolution or 'a wolf in sheep’s clothing' 167
  16. Remaking U.S. foreign policy for a new beginning with the Arab and Muslim worlds 193
  17. War-normalizing dialogue (WND) 221
  18. Multimodality and performance 241
  19. Subject index 309
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