Manipulative strategies on english-language media scene

Abstract

The article considers manipulative persuasion as the main discursive social practice consisting of strategies and tactics aimed to shape public opinion on the media scene. The research information base is English-language articles in eresources of British and American media and posts in social networks. The mechanisms of linguistic manipulation are considered from the perspective of the tactics and strategic approach. The basic features of manipulation are distinguished and described. The manipulative strategies are conveniently classified into strategies of factual manipulation and strategies of ideological polarization according to the degree of misrepresentation of information. In both cases the effect is achieved by implementation of macrostrategies of discredit and legitimation. The specifi c focus is made on the most frequent tactics of discrediting strategies while macrostrategy of legitimation is considered from the perspective of proximisation theory. Proximisation is a manipulative strategy of addressing events distant from the present moment in space, time and moral plan but able to symbolically shift to the foreground (by an actor’s efforts) closer to the information centre where a manipulator and a recipient are. Proximisation on all levels allows to achieve manipulative effect, namely belief in the need for immediate measures to prevent risks, which facilitates legitimating action planned by a manipulator.