My research shows that when politicians use hate speech, it’s not just empty rhetoric or political theater: Domestic terrorism increases, in the US and in other countries.
Dog whistles constitute coded language that only some voters can hear. But Trump does not hide his bigotry when talking about Mexican ‘rapists,’ the ‘China virus’ and ‘law and order.’
Tallies are displayed as House members vote on a resolution on impeachment procedure on Oct. 31, 2019.
AP/Andrew Harnik
Democrats and Republicans are speaking about impeachment with dramatically different language. The winner of this frame war will succeed in shaping how Americans understand the impeachment inquiry.
It’s a linguistic battlefield out there.
Complot/Shutterstock.com
Each spin of the news cycle hits us with another ‘bombshell,’ while everything from free speech to race has been ‘weaponized.’ What’s the effect of being relentlessly exposed to metaphors of war?
President Trump told four Democratic Congresswomen of color to ‘go back’ to the ‘corrupt’ countries they came from.
AP/Carolyn Kaster
John M. Murphy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Difficult to pronounce, synecdoche is the form of rhetoric used by President Trump when he told four Democratic congresswomen of color to “go back” to the “corrupt” countries they came from.
A protester is arrested by Capitol Hill Police during the Kavanaugh nomination.
AP/Alex Brandon
A polarized electorate is divided into tribal camps that demonize each other. That’s the setting for the upcoming midterm elections. If the US continues down this path, democracy will suffer.
The quiet consumption of news can sustain a polarized political environment.
Lightspring
In Kenneth Burke’s ‘The War of Words,’ the late rhetorical theorist picks apart the little ways news articles can subtly influence readers – and harden divisions.
After the Manafort and Cohen news dropped, many wondered how Trump would respond. By the following morning, a messaging strategy seemed to coalesce.
Nick Lehr/The Conversation via Reuters and AP Photo
Aristotle coined the term “enthymeme” to refer to arguments, words and ideas that are broadly accepted among the people of a nation. So what happens when enthymemes start to disappear?
Coal miner photographed on the job near Richlands, Virginia, in 1974.
Jack Corn/Environmental Protection Agency
Heading into the last days of the Obama administration, the outgoing first lady cemented a noble legacy for herself.
A political sign in West Virginia reflects the claim that the Obama administration, by developing policies to reduce carbon emission, was waging a campaign against the industry.
Vicki Smith/AP Photo
While the US is reeling from rampant fake online news, political movements in Europe are using the internet as a powerful democratic symbol to win elections. Will cyber-optimism or pessimism win?