Press Statements Research Articles

Constructing a Discourse of Hope and Inspiration: A Positive Discourse Analysis of Joko Widodo’s Press Statements on COVID-19

ABSTRACT Using positive discourse analysis as a framework, this article examines Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s press statements on the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on how he constructed a message of hope and inspiration. The analysis demonstrates that Widodo used his language to encourage the people of Indonesia to be resilient, remain positive, and collaborate with the government to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic. The findings reveal that metaphor, lexicalisation, and rationalisation were the three main strategies that helped Widodo to construct his message of hope and inspiration and to formulate an emancipatory discourse intended to liberate the people of Indonesia from the difficulties of the pandemic and chart a way forward in the post-pandemic period. The study underscores the crucial role of language as a resource for hope and as a response strategy during a crisis as well as its significance in helping individuals, communities, nations, and societies make sense of their experiences and (re)imagine a positive future despite their present predicament.

Discursos sobre descolonización y conflicto social. El caso de la VIII Marcha Indígena en Bolivia (2011)

This article examines how the narrative of the plurinational state provided the common symbolic framework for the conflict over the Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park (Tipnis) in Bolivia in 2011. The central dispute, one of the most important in Bolivia’s recent history, was whether or not to construct a highway through this area, a debate that has led to a major rift between peasant and indigenous social organizations that shared common reivindicative imaginaries but ultimately experienced profound divisions. This discussion serves as a key observation point to understand how decolonization imaginaries actually function, which I consider a anchoring point (point du capiton) in the narrative of the plurinational state. Through discourse analysis, review of chronicles, press statements, and accounts of the VIII Indigenous March, I aim to identify the discursive threads that framed the debates on decolonization, showing that it can be used as a rhetorical tool to mask extractivism or defend “national sovereignty,” or as an argument to uphold the self-determination of indigenous peoples. I also examine how the repertoire of the indigenous march was constructed discursively and symbolically, and the impact it left on Bolivia’s recent history. I intend for this analysis to contribute to understanding how Bolivian social perceptions are shaped in relation to the narrative of the plurinational state and its potential for social transformation as a new regime of truth.

Evaluating the efficacy of vatiquinone in preclinical models of mitochondrial disease.

Genetic mitochondrial diseases are a major challenge in modern medicine, impacting around 1:4,000 individuals. Leigh syndrome is the most common pediatric presentation of mitochondrial disease. There are currently no effective clinical treatments for mitochondrial disease. In humans, patients are often treated with antioxidants, vitamins, and strategies targeting energetics. The vitamin-E related compound vatiquinone (EPI-743, α-tocotrienol quinone) has been the subject of at least 19 clinical trials in the US since 2012, but the effects of vatiquinone on an animal model of mitochondrial disease have not yet been reported. Here, assessed the impact of vatiquinone on disease progression and in two animal models of mitochondrial disease. The efficacy of vatiquinone in vitro was assessed using human fibroblasts treated with the general mitochondrial oxidative stress inducer paraquat, the GPX4 inhibitor RSL3, or the glutathione synthase inhibitor BSO in combination with excess iron. The therapeutic potential of vatiquinone in vivo was assessed using tamoxifen-induced mouse model for GPX4 deficiency and the Ndufs4 knockout mouse model of Leigh syndrome. In both models, animals were treated daily with vatiquinone or vehicle and relevant disease endpoints were assessed. Vatiquinone robustly prevented death in cultured cells induced by RSL3 or BSO/iron, but had no effect on paraquat induced cell death. Vatiquinone had no impact on disease onset, progression, or survival in either the tamoxifen-inducible GPX4 deficient model or the Ndufs4(-/-) mouse model, though the drug may have reduced seizure risk. Vatiquinone provided no benefit to survival in two mouse models of disease, but may prevent seizures in the Ndufs4(-/-) model. Our findings are consistent with recent press statements regarding clinical trial results and have implications for drug trial design and reporting in patients with rare diseases.

Dialogues between Past and Present? Modern Art, Contemporary Art Practice, and Ancient Egypt in the Museum

Whenever twentieth-century modern art or new contemporary artworks are included amongst displays of ancient Egypt, press statements often assert that such juxtapositions are ‘surprising’, ‘innovative’, and ‘fresh’, celebrating the external perspective they bring to such collections. But contemporary art’s relationship with museums and other disciplines needs to be understood in a longer-term perspective. Pairings of twentieth- and twenty-first-century artistic works with objects of antiquity is an activity that has been undertaken for more than a century in what has been a relatively long period of mutually reinforcing influences between modern/contemporary art, museum display, the art market, and Egyptian heritage. Together, they have decontextualised ancient Egyptian culture and shaped the language and perspectives of scholars, curators, and artists. In this paper, rather than considering how artists have been inspired by ancient Egypt, I will give a few examples of how more recent art practices from the late nineteenth century onwards have impacted the language and discourse of Egyptology and its museum representation. Then, using more recent artist engagements with the British Museum, I argue for greater interdisciplinary dialogues between artists and Egyptologists, as both take more critical stances towards research that recontextualises the power and agency of collections, representation, and knowledge production.

Our city our crew: sense of place, cultural entrepreneurship and ‘thick’ cultural resistance in the #SaveTheCrew movement

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined the Twitter (now X, but hereafter still referred to as Twitter) hashtag #Savethecrew, a hashtag and movement created and maintained by Columbus Crew SC supporters in their attempt to prevent the relocation of their soccer team, from Columbus, Ohio, to Austin, Texas. We used two constructs – Sense of place and cultural entrepreneurship – as the basis for a critical exploration and thematic analysis. We analysed over 4000 Tweets and relevant media documents (eg local newspapers, club press statements) to explicate and frame the culturally resonant narratives and resistance strategies of Crew supporters. The case study emphasizes the ongoing importance of place and associated meanings, such as community, as strategically and culturally relevant resources that can be used to craft powerful and persuasive narratives. Ultimately, this culturally resonant narrative was used to resist ownership led activities that do not align with supporter ideals for what is best for soccer clubs and their surrounding communities.

Joko Widodo’s speeches at the 42nd ASEAN Summit: A critical discourse analysis

The 42nd ASEAN Summit was held in Indonesia, making Indonesia the chairman of the Summit. Joko Widodo, as the president, represented the country to welcome the ASEAN members and open the summit and the meetings by giving remarks and statements. This study attempted to examine how interpersonal metafunction is used in the opening remarks and press statements as well as to reveal the power strategy and ideology depicted in the opening remarks and press statements. Eight opening remarks and two press statements were analyzed utilizing Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics. Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis was employed to reveal the power relations and the ideology. The study found declarative, interrogative, and imperative were the mood types in which it utilized probability, obligation, and inclination modality. It showed that Joko Widodo acted as the initiator to promote collaboration to achieve ASEAN’s goals.

A Language Style Analysis of Press Release at The Walt Disney Company Website

This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the language style employed in press statements issued by the Walt Disney Company, focusing on comprehending how this language style contributes to effective corporate communication. A qualitative descriptive methodology was applied, with the research drawing upon press statements available on Walt Disney's official website. The analysis of language style was based on the principles of sentence structure as outlined by Gorys Keraf, encompassing five distinct styles: climax, anti-climax, parallelism, antithesis, and repetition. The findings of this research revealed that repetition emerged as the predominant language style, accounting for 50% of the language styles identified, while anti-climax was the least frequently used, making up only 2%. This prevalence of repetition in press statements was observed to serve the purpose of reinforcing key messages, aiding reader recall, and ultimately facilitating more effective communication. This research explores how language style is important in business communication, using the well-known example of the Walt Disney Company. This research is looking at how the specific way language is used in their press statements helps them communicate better. These findings can be useful in different areas, like marketing, public relations, and business communication. Furthermore, this study demonstrates how analyzing language can help us understand the different styles companies use in their communication.

E-Governance, E-Participation, and E-Service Delivery in the Parliament of Zimbabwe Amid COVID-19 Exigencies

This article explored how the Parliament of Zimbabwe (PoZ) leveraged e-governance, e-participation, and e-service delivery within COVID-19 pressures. The study used the qualitative research methodology. An assortment of parliamentary reports, hansards, press statements, newspaper articles, documents, and other relevant literature on e-governance, e-participation, e-service delivery and COVID-19 were also used. The findings indicated that following the lockdowns in Zimbabwe which restricted the physical conduct in the transaction of business, the PoZ was quick to suspend business temporarily, so as to come up with measures to cope with the situation. It was found that parliamentarians adopted a hybrid strategy in their meetings, either physical or virtual. The adoption of e-governance closed the gap resulting from the restrictive measures brought about by COVID-19, thus enabling its members to continue with their constitutionally mandated functions. The findings suggest that e-governance, e-participation, and e-service delivery can help organisations cope with disruptions like COVID-19.

India's solar soft power

The politics of knowledge production reveals the exercise of power in societies, with narratives a key means to project national image. This article examines narratives used by Government of India representatives to frame knowledge about the nation's energy transition and to present India as an environmental leader globally. Drawing from government reports, press statements, and speeches over the last five years, this work details Indian climate change and other environmental narratives, including their emphasis on solar energy. International solar, renewable, and climate narratives are meant to project Indian strength and leadership, while also demanding finance and accountability from the nations historically responsible for the bulk of carbon emissions. Although distinct, the reviewed narratives assert India's solar soft power. Non-coercive soft power communications are a means to influence perceptions and values about a nation. If successful, soft power can amplify the power and prestige of a nation. Solar signals and actions are a means to encourage financers to invest in India, particularly the green sector. This review of Indian government's narratives and practice related to the transition away from fossil fuels unearths the planning, policies, and power structures which exacerbate existing unevenness in relation to energy.

A MEDIA PANORAMA: ANALYSIS OF THE MESSAGES PUBLISHED BY THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION OF TURKEY IN TERMS OF “PRESS FREEDOM”

Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) is Turkey's largest professional media organization. As of November 2022, there are 3 thousand 780 permanent members. In order to become a member of the Association, it is required to working under a contract in the written and visual media, subject to the Press Labor Law No. 5953 (commonly known as the Law No.212), to have a press card and to have at least 2 years of professional experience. It is seen that TGC is particularly sensitive to the issue of freedom of the press, not only protecting the professional and personal rights of its member journalists, but also focusing on the general problems of the media and holding press statements, conferences, panels, demonstrations, etc. in this direction. In recent years, the Association has been making public its objections, reservations and criticisms about freedom of the press through press statements (messages) at almost every opportunity. These press releases are published both on the Association's website and shared via social media and e-mail. In this study, it has been tried to determine which topics, words/concepts and to what extent the freedom of the press matters in 155 press releases/messages published by TGC between January 1, 2022 and November 1, 2022, by analyzing content and discourse. Thus, a panorama of the main problems faced by the media in Turkey in recent years has been drawn through the messages of the largest professional organization of the press.

Analyzing the Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Airline Stocks: An Empirical Analysis using Event Study Methodology

The outburst of Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the economic progress both in developed and developing nations. Since its outburst, the stock markets have declined all around the globe. However, some industries become profoundly weak while others proceed to perform well even in the crisis period. Given this new phenomena we try to study the short-term effects of the outburst of new contagious disease COVID-19, on four BSE listed aviation companies in India by employing event study methodology. The outcomes reveal that Indian aviation stock returns drop more significantly than the BSE stock market returns in response to the four main COVID-19 press statements that were made during first half of year 2020. Generally, stockholders respond contrarily in the four selected events. The strong over response shown by the investors is noted during the on-event period of the announcements made by World Health Organization and the Indian government. Besides, the results endorses that investors of Indigo and Spicejet were more reactive to the announcements made related to Covid-19 outbreak. The findings demand for instant policy framework in order to lighten the bad effects of the pandemic in the airline sector in India

Locked in: Australia’s COVID-19 Border Closures and the Right to Leave

Abstract In March 2020, Australia became one of a handful of democratic states worldwide to adopt a blanket prohibition on the right of citizens to leave its territory, whether temporarily or permanently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Health Regulations, which bind all members of the World Health Organization (‘WHO’), including Australia, provide an international legal framework to guide the public health response to the international spread of disease in a manner which respects human rights and fundamental freedoms. The right to freedom of movement in international human rights law is enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (‘ICCPR’), which Australia ratified in 1990. Although states can place restrictions on freedom of movement to protect public health, they must be appropriate to achieve their protective function, the least intrusive instrument which might achieve the desired result, and proportionate to the interest to be protected. This article argues that in adopting sweeping restrictions on outbound travel, Australia re-purposed aspects of its migration control regime—ordinarily employed to externalise its international border and prevent people from entering the country—in order to prevent Australian citizens and permanent residents from leaving Australia. The outbound travel restrictions further bypassed an analysis of the intrusiveness and proportionality of the measures themselves, and shifted the burden onto individuals to request an exemption where the regulation of exit proved overly intrusive or disproportionate in their particular circumstances. In examining parliamentary transcripts, press statements by government officials, and recently revealed data regarding outbound travel exemptions, this article raises serious questions regarding the legality of the restrictions over time and their implementation in light of international law.

Understanding the Differential Nature of Protest Movements in Africa Through Political Settlements Analysis: the Case of the ‘Fixthecountry’ Movement in Ghana

What explains why protest movements refuse the support of opposition parties despite the correlation in their demands? Answers to this question make up the content of this paper. In recent years, protest movements have dominated the political space of several sub-Saharan African countries, many of which have claimed to have no partisan ties. Relying on insights from the detachment thesis, this paper argues that the nature of the strategies adopted by protest movements in relation to political parties depends on the nature of the country’s political settlements. The study uses the FixTheCountry protest movement in Ghana as a case study. After a discourse analysis into speeches and press statements, an analysis of 15 qualitative interviews conducted in Ghana, as well as a review of various secondary literature ranging from journal articles to books, this paper concludes that protest movements instrumentalise the competitive nature of a country’s political settlements to gain popular support from the citizenry. Given that only two political parties dominate Ghana’s political arena, the protest movement presents itself as non-partisan, a strategy intended to first, express distrust in both parties; and second, attract the attention of non-partisan citizens and disaffected supporters of both parties. The paper demonstrates that the nature of a country’s political settlements is a key determinant of the nature of the relationship between protest movements and political parties, both ruling and opposition ones. This paper’s findings contribute to our understanding of how contemporary African protest movements continue to shape and reshape their relationship with political parties and the relevance of a country’s political structure in the process.

Health Education Measures to Combat Covid-19 in Southeast Asia: Malaysia's Initiatives

This article highlights the health education (HE) strategies implemented by Malaysia in responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic health promotion. A combination of HE measures that represent different aims enables countries, especially those with limited resources, to educate people and fight infectious diseases effectively. Publication of information, education and communication (IEC) materials; dedicated portal, hotlines and various media channels; daily press conference and press statements; infodemic/fake news management; and multi-sector engagement should be incorporated in reducing the number of COVID-19-positive cases. The HE measures addressed in this article can provide a basis for countries in the Southeast Asia region and those with limited resources to develop HE strategies to reduce the severity of the outbreak.

“Here, the Hungarian people will decide how to raise our children”: Populist rhetoric and social categorization in Viktor Orbán’s anti-LGBTQ campaign in Hungary

This paper analyzes how the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán uses social categorization and populist rhetoric in an anti-LGBTQ campaign. Drawing on social identity theory and the scholarship on populist rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ politics, the article examines 46 interviews, press statements, public speeches, and op-eds by Orbán. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA) and Wodak’s discourse-historical approach, it shows how the prime minister frames LGBTQ communities as an out-group that poses a threat to Hungarian values and way of living. Similar to the issue of immigration and existing anti-LGBTQ frames in other countries, Orbán presents LGBTQ groups within his well-established anti-Western narrative. In addition, he connects LGBTQ communities to other out-groups that have been portrayed as a threat for a long time. The study sheds new light on the linguistic strategies of Orbán and shows how populist rhetoric and social categorization complement each other in a political campaign.

The Long View: Leadership at a Critical Juncture for “African Art” in America

The Long View: Leadership at a Critical Juncture for “African Art” in America

“It’s up to the women”: Women’s Peace Songs for Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt’s papers in the FDR Presidential Library contain approximately seventy musical works calling for world peace, the lyrics and/or music of which were created by women. Women’s peace songs from the 1930s were often a response to the First Lady’s press and radio statements about peace. They were also influenced by calls for cultural change by activists in the women’s peace movement, represented by the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, groups with which Roosevelt was involved. Compositions about peace typically either featured march-like music and nationalistic imagery or were religious choral works and hymn-like expressions of women’s collective action. Writers sometimes parodied well-known hymns or patriotic songs, providing them with less militaristic texts. Musical offerings for the First Lady reflected women’s desire to assist Roosevelt in her peace efforts, their growing concern about the onset of World War II, and a strong belief in the power of music to help achieve a better world.

Geo-visualization of Sarawak COVID-19 Publicly Available Data Employing Open-source Geospatial Software

The state government of Sarawak with the help of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has continuously made the updated information on the state COVID-19 situation and its ensuing control measures available to general public in the form of daily press statements. However, these statements are merely providing textual information on daily basis though the data are in fact rich in temporal and spatial properties. Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, spatiotemporal analysis becomes the key element to better understand the spread of COVID-19 in various spatial levels worldwide. Hence, there is an urgent need to convert this textual information into more valuable insights by applying geo-visualization techniques and geospatial statistics. The paper demonstrates the prospect of retrieving geospatial data from publicly available document to locate, map and analyze the spread of COVID-19 up to division level of Sarawak. Specifically, map visualization and geospatial statistical analysis are performed for the list of exposed locations, which are indeed locations visited by COVID-19 patients prior to being tested positive in Kuching division, using open-source geospatial software QGIS. It is found that these exposed locations concentrate on the build-up areas in the division and are in south-west to north-east direction of the center of Kuching in September and October 2021. Despite the number of exposed locations published is relatively small compared to the number of confirmed cases reported, both are nearly strongly correlated. The insights gained from such geospatial analysis may assist the local public health authorities to impose applicable disease control interventions at division level.

NGO Efforts and Their Role in the Junior Doctor Plight

Over the years, we are faced with many issues surrounding junior doctors, as they make their way into the professional working platform. To address this matter, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been actively involved to improve the welfare of the fraternity. Among one of the earliest and ongoing concerns frequently brought up is the House Officers (HO) wellbeing, which is said to be associated with high levels of stress leading to mental health problems, and sometimes leaving the medical profession altogether. In Malaysia, the number of HOs not completing training within the allocated time is slowly declining with dropout rates increasing yearly. This causes a lot of constraints on the HO, their family, sponsors, patients, and not to mention our healthcare system. There are many identified reasons for this matter, therefore, the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM)’s HO preparatory course was one of the pioneer courses organised to address this since its commencement in 2010. This module is frequently re-evaluated, and IMAM has actively pursued research on its effectiveness. Next, is the road crash injury among doctors in which IMAM has been involved in addressing this matter by actively seeking dialogues with stakeholders, organising campaigns, workshops and obtaining grants for research in the matter. IMAM on its own or in collaboration has consistently backed efforts to improve wellbeing of the healthcare fraternity. Other efforts include issuing press statements on concerns of unfair treatment of the contract doctors, addressing importance of mental state of doctors during the COVID 19 pandemic and reminding on the dangerous consequences of sleep deprived doctors. The NGO’s role, specifically in IMAM, apart from serving the community is also to be a voice for its members and associates for our overall safety, wellbeing, and the community we serve. International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2023 Page: S15

Military Ideology and Foreign Policy: A Constructivist Examination of the IRGC'S Ideological Influence

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pervades most aspects of life in post-revolutionary Iran. Ostensibly the regime’s security organisation, the IRGC’s political clout and economic heft enable it to extend its influence beyond security and into foreign policy. This study employs a constructivist perspective, casting light on the key elements of the IRGC’s identity, notably its religious discourse. In doing so, it develops our understanding of how the organisation’s beliefs and values affect the foreign policy agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article draws on IRGC press statements, ideological training materials and its constitutive charter in conjunction with an analysis of the organisation's behaviour to delineate an image of an organisation staunchly loyal to the total imperium of the ‘House of Leader’, and which buttresses the regime with its militant, violent and religiously hardline outlook. Working to promote rather than define Ayatollah Khamenei’s system of Islamic governance, the IRGC’s role is closer to that of enforcer and implementer than of autonomous agent of foreign policy. This article contributes to the wider literature on constructivist idealism by highlighting the importance of ideas as relational and performative elements of foreign policy.