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Ján Demčišák, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, SlovakiaAbstract
Our research is part of a broader project focusing on manipulative representations in times of crisis and the analysis of linguistic strategies used to spread alternative truths in the public sphere. Culture and poetic language are among the less explored topics in political and opinion-forming rhetoric disseminated via the internet and social media. Based on a collected text corpus from online magazines objectively identified as alternative media in German-speaking countries, we will attempt a linguistic and cultural analysis of the key images, symbols, and overall poetic language used to convey alternative or manipulative narratives. We first process the analyzed corpus using corpus analysis methods and techniques and the Sketch Engine tool (identification of keywords and collocations); second, we combine this with a critical discourse analysis approach; and third, we focus on the analysis of poetic language using literary criticism. The aim is to highlight the typical elements of the language and rhetoric in question and thus help to better understand its functioning and ability to persuasively influence recipients. Such disclosure of typical linguistic and argumentative structures and their overlap with the aesthetic level can contribute to sensitizing the perception of these phenomena and to the better development of critical thinking in civil society.
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Conference: ACAH2026Stream: Language
This paper is part of the ACAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Demčišák J. (2026) Counterfactual Imaginations, Symbolism, and Poetic Language as Part of Populist and Manipulative Rhetoric ISSN: 2186-229X – The Asian Conference on Arts & Humanities 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 303-317) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-229X.2026.24
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-229X.2026.24
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