Political Talk Research Articles

Deliberation in online political talk: exploring interactivity, diversity, rationality, and incivility in the public spheres surrounding news vs. satire

Abstract Political satire is often believed to enrich the public sphere in ways distinct from traditional journalism. This study examines whether deliberative qualities of online political talk in response to satire differ from those in response to regular news or partisan news. The analysis focuses on four normative standards: interactivity, diversity, rationality, and civility. A manual content analysis of YouTube comments (n = 2,447) reveals that the public sphere surrounding political satire shows a notable strength: Less incivility, both in terms of impoliteness and intolerance. Surprisingly, aside from this, satire’s public sphere did not differ much from that of regular news. Comments on partisan news were more opinionated and ideologically diverse. These findings suggest that online political talk prompted by satire is not inferior to that of traditional news. Additionally, this study highlights how the presence of different normative standards is often interconnected.

Repositioning multiculturalism in Ethiopia: a case study of Netsa Hasab (Free Thought) political talk show on Walta TV

Repositioning multiculturalism in Ethiopia: a case study of Netsa Hasab (Free Thought) political talk show on Walta TV

When Gestures also Argue: Multimodal Viewpoint Shift as a Rhetorical Strategy in American Political Talk Shows

Drawing on Mental Spaces Theory and Conceptual Blending Theory in Cognitive Linguistics, we examine the interaction between speech and co-speech gestures in The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Statistical analysis shows that viewpoint shift in the self-built multimodal corpus, generally following the pattern: Base Space->News Narrative Space(->Base space)->Source Viewpoint Space(+)(->Base space), is significantly related to the use of verbal markers and gestural types. Moreover, multimodal viewpoint shift in political talk shows can achieve such rhetorical functions as enhancing ironic effects, solidifying and highlighting opposing positions, and simplifying political issues. Since verbal markers and gestures can mobilize the audience’s embodied experience by primarily activating mental images and motor programs, we claim that mental simulation and perspective taking play a pivotal role in the cognitive processing of multimodal viewpoint shifts by promoting viewpoint alignment between the audience and the host.

What’s in a Cue? Decoding Political Values in Applauded Statements From Ukraine’s Leading Political Talk Shows

Experimental studies show that public opinion cues shape people’s perceptions of public opinion. However, the full extent of political information these cues comprise and, consequently, communicate remains unexplored. This study utilizes standardized content analysis to examine the political values in applauded statements ( n = 1,722) from Ukraine’s major political talk shows. The results suggest that applauded statements embody a complex mix of identity- and governance-oriented values, signaling to the broader audience the preferred type of political debate among those within the studio. The study enhances the literature on public opinion cues by demonstrating the significance of analyzing their underlying content.

Hispanic political engagement in the 2018 Texas Senate election: How political communication and perceived candidate ethnicity shape engagement

ABSTRACT Research has shown that Hispanic voters tend to be more politically engaged when Hispanic candidates are on the ballot. This study contributes to intercultural and political communication scholarship by considering how perceived candidate ethnicity, beliefs about candidates’ commitment to Hispanic voters, and communication shape political engagement. Survey data (N = 424) from the 2018 Texas Senate election featuring Democrat Beto O’Rourke and Republican Ted Cruz, indicates that voter perceptions of candidate ethnicity and commitment to the Hispanic community likely shape political engagement, although this varies across candidates. Political talk enhances engagement and moderates the relationship between perceived candidate identity and engagement.

Living in a Diverse Community: Effects of Geographical Variations in Diversity on Partisan Communication

This study examines the effects of geographical variations in diversity on political communication within the context of partisan media and audiences. Partisan heterogeneity, as an indicator of political diversity, was conceptualized as a geographical context of the distribution of party preferences within a county. Using a set of nationwide panel survey data with county-level statistics, we conducted multilevel modeling to test its effects on partisan news use, political discussion, knowledge, and affective polarization. The results indicate that county-level partisan heterogeneity reduced the average levels of like-minded news consumption. Moreover, it attenuated the positive relationship between like-minded news use and political talk with strong ties. Additionally, we found that the context of partisan heterogeneity significantly moderated the mediation effects of partisan news use on political knowledge and affective polarization through political discussion. Implications of these results on partisan communication were discussed.

The Relationship Between Political Entertainment Media Use and Political Efficacy: A Comparative Study in 18 Countries

Abstract Political entertainment programs have gained worldwide popularity, prompting research on their effects. One area of interest has been whether this media programming has an impact upon political efficacy. However, existing literature has only examined the impact of a limited number of programs, has failed to consider the simultaneous influence of different genres, and has focused primarily on the US. To address these limitations, we conducted a comparative survey in 18 democracies in 2022, with a sample size of N = 26,000. The findings revealed that viewers of political talk shows exhibited higher levels of both external and internal political efficacy in most countries. Additionally, frequent exposure to political comedy news or satire was positively related to internal political efficacy in certain countries. Finally, the consumption of fictional political dramas was also linked to political efficacy, but only in a few countries.

Linguistic-discursive peculiarities of pronominal usage in political discourse (based on the material of the political talk show "60 Minutes")

This paper considers the specific features of the functioning of pronouns in political discourse. We analyse their role in the speech of the presenters and guests of the "60 Minutes" talk show. It belongs to the television discussion genre whose function is to form a collective political world picture by projecting and broadcasting certain images and meanings. The relevance of the research is due to the need not only for studying communication strategies and tactics in political actors’ speech, but also for analysing the impact of linguistic means on public opinion formation and transformation. Considering pronouns in the functional aspect enables us to identify the characteristic features that make pronouns one of the most effective means of speech influence (persuasion). Possessing manipulative potential, words of this morphological class can participate in the implementation of numerous communicative strategies and tactics, including the upward and downward strategies, the tactics of self-presentation, cooperation, impersonal accusation, discrediting, and the "us–them" opposition. The research uses discourse analysis, interpretation and contextual analysis techniques, and the communicative-pragmatic approach. As the obtained data show, pronouns can be employed to impose certain beliefs and opinions, to enhance the sense of unity and solidarity between the speaker and the audience, to shift the emphasis in the event under discussion. Moreover, they also prove to be a significant characteristic of politicians, reflecting their worldview.

Political Talk Shows and Prioritization of Political Movement Issues in Iraq

Political talk shows, in their various forms, are among the most eagerly presented programs by contemporary media outlets, as they are considered one of the most effective means of conveying the media message to the audience. It is well-known that political movement issues have a significant impact on the lives of Iraqi citizens in various aspects—political, economic, social, and cultural, among others. Consequently, these issues have become a priority for media outlets in general and talk shows in particular, as they seek to find specific solutions to the discussed issues and achieve specific agendas and objectives through the talk show. Given the importance of the topic, the researcher in this study aimed to understand the role of political talk shows in shaping and constructing the audience's agenda regarding political movement issues in Iraq. This study is classified as a descriptive study, and the researcher employed the survey method to collect information and data from the respondents. A questionnaire was used to gather data, and it was administered to a purposive, multi-stage sample consisting of 294 respondents from the audience in Baghdad Province.

The Interplay of Theology, Socio-Political Dynamics, And Economic Realities in Contemporary Africa

This paper unpredictably investigates the exchange between religious philosophy and contemporary Africa’s socio-political and financial elements. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, it dives into many philosophical viewpoints, incorporating conventional African religions and Abrahamic beliefs. The verifiable advancement of these points of view is fastidiously followed, disentangling their significant effect on administration, cultural standards, and financial conduct across the landmass. Through a top-to-bottom examination of philosophical establishments, the paper examines how conviction frameworks established in customary African other worldliness and Abrahamic customs shape Africa’s social and profound scene. It takes apart the unpredictable associations between philosophical points of view and the political belief systems predominant in the area, revealing insight into the job of strict forerunners in forming political talk. The investigation stretches out to civil rights and everyday freedoms, testing the philosophical underpinnings that impact perspectives and activities towards equity and value, with a sharp spotlight on the backing endeavors of strict foundations. In looking at the monetary fundamental factors, the paper examines the effect of abundance, poverty, and thriving philosophies on the financial way of behaving, giving an understanding of how philosophical reactions address issues of neediness and monetary disparity. Furthermore, the paper analyses the moral parts of well-defined courses of action, investigating severe strength areas for what means monetary profound quality and where reasoning meets the functional monetary new development.

Polish Mother and (Not) Her Children: Intersectional State-Violence against Minors in Poland

This article seeks to explain the political responsibility that Polish right-wing female politicians directly associated with the 2015–2023 Polish government and the then-ruling Law and Justice Party bear in the state-sanctioned violence against minors in the context of LGBT- and immigration-related issues. Its main assumption is that, in times of the nationalist surge that has been sweeping Poland, women using anti-LGBT and anti-immigration discourses helped to legitimize discriminatory state practices and, consequently, made a significant contribution to the enactment of white, Christian, and heteronormative identity on Polish children. Drawing upon Critical Discourse Analysis, this work examines the anti-LGBT and anti-immigration political talk by female politicians who, in their narrative strategies, adopt the position of a “Polish mother” on a mission to save a “child in danger”. Through my analysis, I aim to demonstrate that anti-LGBT and anti-immigration discourses are equally significant areas of women’s political engagement. Despite the prevalent cultural norms of caring motherhood, women do exercise their agency in political struggles as supporters of discriminatory state policies directed against minors by re-politicizing a symbolic figure of the “Polish mother”.

Does the Centre Hold? Public Sphere Configuration, Democracy, and the Quality of Political Talk in Sweden

In the present article, key conceptual and regulative requirements for quality public democratic talk to be maintained are identified and the linguistic economy of civic conversation about common affairs in the Swedish public sphere gauged; the relationship between public talk, power, and identity is charted; and exposure and response horizons for further quality slippage with Swedens's institutional frameworks visited. A distinction between width and amp difference is introduced to separate democratically acceptable from unviable modes of conversational engagement and provide a new platform for analysing this space. Democratic history and theory is also visited, showing how cognitive moral conversation is a precondition for democratic governance. It is ultimately shown that if democratic politics wishes to remain within its remit, key ideals need safeguarding. It is concluded that the well-known challenges brought out by Levitsky & Ziblatt have not yet affected Swedish politics as they have American politics, but that risks for graver deterioration of struggling conversational and normative formats are visible.

Conversational Analysis of Political Talk Shows by Pakistani Politicians using Discourse Markers

Conversational Analysis of Political Talk Shows by Pakistani Politicians using Discourse Markers

Differential gains from news use in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe: Variations in the moderating influence of political talk on engagement

A limited but growing body of research has explored the role of media and communication in cultivating engaged citizens in the new and established democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using representative data from the World Values Survey, this study advances the existing research by examining the differential gains model across four countries that differ in terms of democratization, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Findings suggest that the moderating effect of political talk on the association between news use and political engagement likely varies across countries that differ in terms of democratization. Specifically, we find support for the differential gains model across all forms of political engagement in Kenya, limited support in Nigeria and Ethiopia, and no support for the model in Zimbabwe. Implications for theory and suggestions for future inquiry are discussed.

‘Everyday talk’ about working-from-home: How the affordances of Twitter enable ambient affiliation but constrain political talk

How do the affordances of microblogging platforms, such as visibility to imagined audiences, shape the nature of ‘everyday talk’? Drawing on a qualitative study of tweets posted during the COVID-19 pandemic and containing the acronym WFH (working-from-home), we draw on Habermasian theorisation of deliberative democratic systems to show how Twitter (X) can act as a third space in which everyday talk about socio-political issues emerges alongside relational talk seeking ambient affiliation. Our analysis shows that tweets expressing already-established political positions that are amenable to reductive symbolism—using memes, images and shorthand stories—gain ‘likes’ and are amplified on Twitter. However, we argue that the desire for ambient affiliation combined with the imperative of reductive symbolism has a constraining effect on public debate, by encouraging the reproduction of established political tropes at the expense of ideas that are novel, controversial or require more complex exposition.

Not playing the game: Political talk, hybridity and performance

This article looks at two prominent news interviews by non-political actors; one an accountability interview and the other part of a panel discussion. It shows how the exchanges contest the conventions of the journalistic interview, deploying a range of unorthodox verbal and non-verbal tactics. The accountability interview, broadcast on Sky News and posted on X (Twitter), includes a heightened performative component, using a variety of techniques to foreground verbal and embodied incredulity. This attracted widespread public and journalistic comment, and produces a manner of engagement that evades conventional language analysis. Performance is a still more prominent factor in the second example, which analyses an appearance by a professional comedian on a BBC political discussion programme. This sustains a comedic persona based upon an enactment of mock-sincerity, contesting the conventional forms of mediated political talk and commentary. Together, these performances are assessed in the context of increasing hybridity in broadcast news, and the article suggests their significance extends beyond their status as sharable media spectacle, such that they show how popular forms of performance can challenge the institutional norms of neutralism.

Образные единицы в коммуникативных практиках медиатизированного политического дискурса

The article is dedicated to the communicative features of mediatized political discourse, which remain insufficiently explored. Using the example of the use of figurative means of language in the genres of media-political communications, it is demonstrated that the mediatized form of communication possesses not only the basic functions of professional discourse but also additional functions: amplifying or softening content, saving linguistic means, emotional and attractive functions. Each of these functions plays a significant role in shaping audience perception and influencing public opinion on political issues. With the help of contextual and semantic analysis, as well as the corpus method, the following results were obtained: in the studied context, figurative units are important linguistic means used for the effective conveyance of specific political views and emotions. These units include figurative metaphors and comparisons, phraseology, proverb, precedent phenomena and colloquial expressions. The novelty of the research lies in the analysis of communicative features and functions of figurative units in various genres of mediatized political discourse: political talk shows, political interviews, and internet texts of politicians. The research results can be applied in the practice of media communication, communicative linguistics, and discourse theory.

“Radicals” and “Racists”: Morality and Identity in U.S. Elite Political Communication

This study examines how elite political and media actors strategically leverage moral claims for partisan ends, transforming political identities, issues, and campaigns into zero-sum moral contests against their opposition. Here, I develop a framework for and approach to the study of morality as a strategic and identity-based tool in political communication, in the process developing a way of studying powerful and pervasive forms of political discourse often overlooked by scholarship. I show how partisan actors have identity-based motivations for employing particular forms of moral political communication, including religious, social, and civic morality. I then apply this framework to the case of the U.S. 2020 election, conducting context-sensitive computational and qualitative content analyses of elite political communication across political talk shows, op-eds, and campaign Twitter discourse. Results reveal the pervasive nature of moral political communication in these spaces. This work shows how, as U.S. political parties increasingly represent divergent and less cross-cutting groups of people, elite actors draw upon moral claims to attract and perform for particular ideological, religious, racial, and ethnic identity coalitions—often drawing from the same moral vocabulary to articulate opposing visions of democracy and civic life.

The Use of Politeness Strategy and The Influence Factors in Political Talk Show

The Use of Politeness Strategy and The Influence Factors in Political Talk Show

The Social Responsibility of Political Talk Shows in Dealing with Parliamentary Performance

The article aimed to identify the social responsibility dimensions of political talk shows in dealing with the parliamentary performance of the 19th House of Representatives of Jordan. It adopted the content analysis methodology and applied it to the "Kingdom Voice" (Sawt Al-Mamlaka) program. Thirty-one episodes have been analyzed, of which they dealt with the parliamentary functioning of the House of Representatives during its second ordinary session, which began on 13 November 2022 and ended on 7 May 2023. The results of the study showed that the (Sawt Al-Mamlaka) program was committed to all dimensions of social, moral, and professional responsibility the dealing with parliamentary performance but was more committed to the media performance dimension (ethical standards), with a mean of (2.80), then the roles and functions of social responsibility with a mean of (2.76), then the professional standards with a mean of (2.55). The study concluded that talk shows should uphold the principle of serving the public and society, raising the level of freedom of opinion and expression, ensuring that talk shows serve as a platform for thought and criticism within their social responsibility, their role as constructive and positive critics in society, and their oversight function in expressing public opinion.