Evaluate the idea that people in positions of authority use language to manipulate others.

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  • Created by: fmohammed
  • Created on: 10-02-21 07:58

Evaluate the idea that people in positions of authority use language to manipulate others.

Advantages

  • Yes, people of authority do manipulate others using language.
  • Example 1: Synthetic personalisation in an Ad.
  • Example 2: Journalists using their language to inaccurately portray a story.
  • Shalini Singh: 'Mass manipulation or communication?' Argues that while both exist, manipulation is getting stronger. Most Journalists chose manipulation so as to move up career ladder.
  • Journalists typically distort facts through 'weasel words' - supposed facts and statistics/words or statements intentionally ambiguous or misleading.
  • Media also manipulates others through 'Audience Positioning' - Stuart Hall (1973) - Media texts are 'encoded' to contain certain meanings which are then 'decoded' by the receiver.
  • Successful Audience positioning ends in 'Dominant reading' - The audience interprets the text the same way the producer intended.

Disadvantages

  • However, the manipulation is not guaranteed to succeed.
  • The audience might not 'connect' with the advert so they are not swayed by the use of personal pronouns and synthetic personalisation.
  • Some journalists do report the pure truth - audience have the choice to compare reports and reject the biased reporting.
  • 'Audience Positioning' doesn't always go to plan.
  • Can end in 'Negotiated reading' - Audience understands the meaning but doesn't relate to it.
  • Can end in 'Oppositional/resistant reading' - Audience rejects text due to beliefs/experiences.

Evaluation

Overall, Language is used by the more powerful to manipulate others. Although the less powerful can chose to reject these manipulations, they typically fall into it.

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