Topoi Analysis of Vladimir Putin’s Speeches in Media Discourse

Abstract

Media discourse is a type of discourse that is seen as a broadcast platform in which the discourse is directed to a non-present reader, listener, or viewer (O’Keeffe, 2011, p. 441). The study of media discourse is important to understand and interpret the ideologies hidden within the adopted discourse. Topoi analysis is seen as argumentation-schemes within the field of critical discourse analysis that help connect the linguistic means to the macro-sociological and ideological levels implied within the selected discourse. The present study aims to investigate the use of topoi in Putin’s speeches during the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022. The study shows how Putin utilizes topoi in his speeches and their ideological impact. The adopted methodology is qualitative in nature depending on the model of Wodak et. al. (2009) argumentation-schemes (i.e., topoi) are seen as a bridge between different linguistic means and macro strategies as ideological in the presentation of identified social actors.