This article is focused on some recent examples of 'nuclear discourse', with a specific reference to the civil use of nuclear power in order to produce energy. The basic aim of this article is dual-fold. From a methodological point of view, I want to show an example of the application of a specific form of semiotic analysis (linked to the 'continental' tradition of structural analysis) to contemporary communication forms and supports. In this way, semiotics appears as a specific form of qualitative analysis, aimed at the understanding of meaning production by social actors on the basis of 'signs' (significant objects such as paper and electronic texts) that are produced and exchanged. From the point of view of the subject under analysis, I want to present some observations on recent pro-nuclear rhetorical forms, which have emerged in Europe in the last two years, before and after the tragedy of Fukushima. I analyse different types of texts, in particular videos and websites. The analysis of the 'internal' organization of texts is combined with attention to the context of their production.tradition of structural analysis) to contemporary communication forms and supports. In this way, semiotics will appear as a specific form of qualitative analysis, aimed at the understanding of meaning production by social actors on the basis of 'signs' (significant objects such as paper and electronic texts) that are produced and exchanged. From the point of view of the subject under analysis, I want to present some observations on recent pro-nuclear rhetorical forms, which have emerged in Europe in the last two years, before and after the tragedy of Fukushima.The basic hypothesis of this article is that contemporary European forms of discourse on nuclear (civil) power present two phenomena that the American scholar W. Kinsella (2005) identified in the case of nuclear communication in the USA as: a tendency to the 'disempowerment' of the public, and the construction of a 'modernistic' basic narrative. The first term indicates the fact that texts and communication tend to present nuclear power as a subject out of the control and intervention of normal citizens, excluding a real participation in decisions about its development (or elimination). Communication forms on nuclear power tend to narrow down spaces for discussion and debate among different opinions. The second expression means that nuclear power is also presented as the protagonist of a positive story, as a source of evolution towards the development of humanity, with a strong link to the ideology of enlightenment (exaltation of science, reason and optimism about the future, which will be better than the past thanks to technology). The question that we should be asking is: Are contemporary pro-nuclear discourses in Europe, and in particular in countries such as France, Italy and Belgium, examples of disempowerment and of a 'modernistic' basic narrative?In order to answer this question, I decided to adopt a qualitative semiotic approach, so as to identify and analyse signif...

PurposeThis article aims to analyse how environmentalist NGOs build the figures of guilty and evil businesses in texts published on the web sites of two ironic prizes. These texts are good examples of criticism based on reversing and analysing semiotic productions of organisations, like advertising and environmental reports, as a part of on‐line environmentalist campaigns.Design/methodology/approachThe article is based on textual semiotics and a semiotic‐based approach to rhetoric; the methodology is qualitative and exploratory. A part of the text published on the web sites of the two ironic prizes (Pinocchio and Angry Mermaid) are analysed in order to identify different models and strategies of criticism.FindingsThe article identifies a series of critical strategies: semantic/paradigmatic, syntagmatic/meta‐textual, referential, narrative and inter‐textual criticisms. It underlines the fact that on‐line criticism is an anti‐ideological semiotic action, which can be compared to some forms of ecological thought. Nonetheless, it is based on some forms of rhetoric and ideology, which can be analysed with semiotic tools.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents a qualitative, exploratory analysis of two cases: results cannot be directly generalized, but methodology and findings can be transferred to other cases (epistemological principle of transferability).Practical implicationsMethods and results of this paper can help in enriching research on the rhetoric of environmental communication, and can integrate more quantitative approaches. Results can suggest new approaches to business communicators, in order to avoid environmental criticism and “boomerang effects”.Originality/valueThe attempt to apply semiotics to the analysis of communication campaigns is rare and perhaps quite innovative. The approach can enrich the fields of PR and business communication studies, of rhetoric analysis and of environmental communication analysis.

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Études de communication

On peut s'interroger sur la mission du communicateur face à la complexité et à la violence des organisations d'aujourd'hui : doit-il légitimer l'action de l'entreprise au travers de discours enchanteurs (D'Almeida, 2007), comme lui demande souvent le management (Maas, 2011), ou bien doit-il tenter d'organiser et de diffuser une information vraie et sincère (Cossette, 2013) ? Si nous prenons l'exemple de la communication hospitalière, secteur sensible par excellence, le communicateur doitil être au service de l'institution, des médecins ou des malades ? Comment faire preuve d'éthique lorsque les intérêts des différentes parties prenantes sont contradictoires ? Comment les professionnels prennent-ils des décisions dans des situations complexes et qui mobilisent plus directement l'éthique ? La relation entre éthique des communicateurs et RSE (Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises)La RSE est aujourd'hui une tendance importante des pratiques et des discours des organisations. Les entreprises, en particulier via la RSE, ont développé une approche managériale des discours éthiques qui peut être qualifiée d'approche utilitariste de l'éthique (David et Lambotte, 2014, Loneux, 2007. Selon certains auteurs, le communicateur se retrouve aujourd'hui en position de devoir recréer du lien social voire de la confiance dans une organisation qui n'est plus capable de jouer son rôle par rapport à l'individu (Huet, 2012). Comment définir la place du communicateur et de sa prise de décision éthique dans ce contexte organisationnel ? La main mise de l'organisation sur l'éthique procède-t-elle uniquement du discours qui viserait à rassurer les salariés et les citoyens ? Comment la RSE est communiquée ? Quelles pratiques professionnelles se développent autour de la production de documents comme les rapports RSE ? Comment les communicateurs participent au développement de formes de dialogue et interaction -plus ou moins uni-ou bidirectionnel -avec les parties prenantes de l'entreprise, à propos de la RSE ? Comment la démarche responsable de l'entreprise est présentée et valorisée, pour construire l'Ethos de l'entreprise responsable ? Inter-culturalité, communication et éthiqueLa réalité de la communication des organisations d'aujourd'hui reproduit celle de la société plus large, où le multiculturalisme et la rencontre de personnes d'origines A v a n t -p r o p o s 9 différentes créent les conditions pour des phénomènes sociaux et communicationnels spécifiques. Comment la coprésence de croyances et pratiques religieuses, traits culturels, habitudes, normes sociales différentes est gérée par les communicateurs, dans le cadre de leur métier ? Comment opèrent-ils des arbitrages, des ajustements, quels types de pratiques se développent-ils dans ce cadre complexe ? Aussi, quelle est la perception de l'éthique des communicateurs dans des contextes culturels et nationaux différents ? Quelle traduction est-elle possible pour l'éthique en communication entre différents pays et cultures ? La réflexion relève ici d'une approche comparative de l'...