The Use of Manipulative Tactics in Hate Speech

Abstract

The aim of the present article is to study some ways of verbal expression of adversary social relationships. It is a study based on the linguistic material of one online article, which shows clearly that the language resources used by the Azerbaijani propagandists manipulate the public, create an exaggeratedly negative image of Armenia as an aggressor state and impose anti-Armenian opinion on the readers. The need for a linguistic study of hate speech is quite actual since at the modern Information Age or New Media Age the confrontation between the conflicting sides is often escalated via verbal duelling, accusation and repudiation that spreads rapidly far and wide with the help of online resources. The spread of fake, misleading and falsified information that discredits the opposing side, inciting hatred and animosity against a group of people is growing dangerously. Worst of all, we cannot but admit the fact that, unfortunately, malice and antagonism are becoming part of modern civilization. The linguistic analysis carried out in the present article demonstrates how certain verbal manipulative tactical tools that are deliberately used by the author, create abusive hate speech against Armenia and its policy.