Humanities

Linguistic purification of violence in the press: a comparative critical discourse analysis of execution news

O. Bunnag and K. Chaemsaithong

Discover how Thai newspapers have shaped societal perceptions of capital punishment over two decades in a groundbreaking study by Orawee Bunnag and Krisda Chaemsaithong. This research unveils the linguistic strategies that normalize state executions, revealing a consistent ideological stance despite changing narratives. Dive into the subtlety of language that influences public belief surrounding the death penalty.

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Abstract

This study investigates how Thai newspapers from 1997 to 2017 discursively constructed shared beliefs about capital punishment. Using a corpus of execution news reports, it analyzes representational practices (social actor naming, action description, voice incorporation) to reveal how state killing is purified and violence minimized. While the overt negativity decreased over time (with a shift from firing squads to lethal injections), the underlying pro-death penalty ideology remained consistent. Executions were presented as routine procedures, minimizing state agency and emphasizing the executed individuals' culpability. The study highlights how subtle linguistic choices normalize and perpetuate favorable stances toward capital punishment.

Publisher

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Published On

Sep 18, 2023

Authors

Orawee Bunnag, Krisda Chaemsaithong

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