This paper explores the nature of political argumentation on Twitter, considering the platform's 280-character limit. Using discourse analysis, the authors demonstrate that, due to the enthymematic nature of public argument, substantial arguments can be conveyed even through single speech acts, including assertions, interrogatives, and expressives. The study focuses on tweeted responses to Fox News and MSNBC regarding the arrest of Cesar Sayoc, revealing that Trump critics dominated the responses and that humor served as a powerful rhetorical tool.
Publisher
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Published On
May 14, 2021
Authors
Katarzyna Elliott-Maksymowicz, Alexander Nikolaev, Douglas Porpora
Tags
political argumentation
Twitter
discourse analysis
humor
Cesar Sayoc
Fox News
MSNBC
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