Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics

The publication activities of the French media during the COVID-19 pandemic in a biopolitical way are analyzed. The theoretical frame of the study is set by Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, as well as the propaganda model of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. To collect and analyze empiri...

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Main Authors: Konstantin V. Bannikov, Nadezhda K. Radina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2023-12-01
Series:RUDN Journal of Studies in Literature and Journalism
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.rudn.ru/literary-criticism/article/viewFile/36796/22770
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author Konstantin V. Bannikov
Nadezhda K. Radina
author_facet Konstantin V. Bannikov
Nadezhda K. Radina
author_sort Konstantin V. Bannikov
collection DOAJ
description The publication activities of the French media during the COVID-19 pandemic in a biopolitical way are analyzed. The theoretical frame of the study is set by Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, as well as the propaganda model of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. To collect and analyze empirical data, the methods of computational linguistics and the method of identifying contextual ideologemes were applied. The research materials were the texts of independent media (Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien), identified using the keywords “pandemic” and “COVID-19” during the four waves of the pandemic (from January 2020 to March 2022). A total of 29,584 Le Figaro articles, 22,446 Le Monde articles, and 6,402 Le Parisien articles were used in the research. The purpose of the research is to analyze the strategies for including the French media in the biopolitical practices of propaganda and public education on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the research, it turned out that the studied media during the pandemic were integrated both into general information campaigns and into biopolitical education and propaganda campaigns. Two scenarios for organizing media discourse during the pandemic of COVID-19 were identified, determined by target groups and media tasks. The first scenario actively involves educational and propaganda tools to promote state biopolitical goals. The second scenario integrates informing readers about the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures used by the authorities for biopolitical control, with the presentation of the hierarchies of responsible persons/ institutions (within the state biopolitics). It is concluded that the participation of French independent media in the active promotion of biopolitical programs indicates their close connection with the actors and subjects of biopolitics - the state or business representatives.
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spelling doaj.art-aa0817ed6b6b443db466a1aeac3a04542023-11-24T08:40:38ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)RUDN Journal of Studies in Literature and Journalism2312-92202312-92472023-12-0128355356510.22363/2312-9220-2023-28-3-553-56520996Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemicsKonstantin V. Bannikov0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2046-6919Nadezhda K. Radina1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8336-1044HSE Nizhny NovgorodHSE Nizhny NovgorodThe publication activities of the French media during the COVID-19 pandemic in a biopolitical way are analyzed. The theoretical frame of the study is set by Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, as well as the propaganda model of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. To collect and analyze empirical data, the methods of computational linguistics and the method of identifying contextual ideologemes were applied. The research materials were the texts of independent media (Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien), identified using the keywords “pandemic” and “COVID-19” during the four waves of the pandemic (from January 2020 to March 2022). A total of 29,584 Le Figaro articles, 22,446 Le Monde articles, and 6,402 Le Parisien articles were used in the research. The purpose of the research is to analyze the strategies for including the French media in the biopolitical practices of propaganda and public education on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the research, it turned out that the studied media during the pandemic were integrated both into general information campaigns and into biopolitical education and propaganda campaigns. Two scenarios for organizing media discourse during the pandemic of COVID-19 were identified, determined by target groups and media tasks. The first scenario actively involves educational and propaganda tools to promote state biopolitical goals. The second scenario integrates informing readers about the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures used by the authorities for biopolitical control, with the presentation of the hierarchies of responsible persons/ institutions (within the state biopolitics). It is concluded that the participation of French independent media in the active promotion of biopolitical programs indicates their close connection with the actors and subjects of biopolitics - the state or business representatives.https://journals.rudn.ru/literary-criticism/article/viewFile/36796/22770biopoliticsideologemepropagandale figarole mondele parisien
spellingShingle Konstantin V. Bannikov
Nadezhda K. Radina
Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
RUDN Journal of Studies in Literature and Journalism
biopolitics
ideologeme
propaganda
le figaro
le monde
le parisien
title Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
title_full Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
title_fullStr Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
title_full_unstemmed Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
title_short Biopolitical media discourse in France in the COVID-19 pandemics
title_sort biopolitical media discourse in france in the covid 19 pandemics
topic biopolitics
ideologeme
propaganda
le figaro
le monde
le parisien
url https://journals.rudn.ru/literary-criticism/article/viewFile/36796/22770
work_keys_str_mv AT konstantinvbannikov biopoliticalmediadiscourseinfranceinthecovid19pandemics
AT nadezhdakradina biopoliticalmediadiscourseinfranceinthecovid19pandemics