Abstract
This comparative study reports the analysis of the discursive and narrative aspects of the language of misinformation/disinformation and fake news used in communicating Covid-19 through audience participation after the first data and scientific outcomes were shared worldwide. The comparative facet of the research allows us to reflect on the practices of participation in media discourses within a diverse socio-cultural context through two case studies: Italy and Saudi Arabia. The study analyzes a variety of post-truth discourses, not limited to verbal language but considering the complexity of the syncretic texts. Post-truth discourse divergences from the forms developed by the scientific inquiry with the aim of creating a counterargument that can influence people’s opinion and persuade them in assuming other theories. The changes experienced by people over the past months (anxieties, fears, alternate moments of doubt and security), in the case of Italy, have been often linked to the uncertainties in communicating Covid-19 throughout the media. On the other side, in the case of Saudi Arabia, where the Sars-Cov-2 arrived later compared to Italy, the media agenda has been in contrast with a misinformation of post-truth in counter-analyzing and counter-augmenting the influential newspapers’ breaking news by creating and spreading contents by social media, and generating a mistrust in the scientific discourse by audiences participations. Starting from recent semiotic of communication studies on the relationship between fake news and post-truth, our proposal is to analyze different communication forms in the Italian and Saudi social media dedicated to the ongoing health emergency.
Presenters
Cristina GrecoVice Dean, Communication, University of Business and Technology, Saudi Arabia Marianna Boero
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science, University of Teramo (UNITE), Italy Saleh Altakrouri
Lecturer / Supervisor of General Courses Department, Jeddah's College of Advertising, University of business and technology, Saudi Arabia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Post-truth Discourses, Misinformation, Audiences’ Participation, Media Discourse
