A critical analysis of media discourse on information technology: preliminary results of a proposed method for critical discourse analysis

Abstract

Since the 1980s, there has been a growing body of critical theory in information systems research. A central theoretical foundation of this research isHabermas' theory of communicative action, which focuses on implications of speech and proposes general normative standards for communication. Habermas also places particular emphasis on the importance of the public sphere in a democratic society, critiquing the role of the media and other actors in shaping public discourse. While there has been growing emphasis on critical discourse analysis (CDA), there has been limited effort to systematically apply Habermas' validity claims to empirical research. Moreover, while critical research in information systems has examined communication within the organizational context, public discourse on information technology has received little attention. The paper makes three primary contributions: (1) it responds to Habermas' call for empirical research to ground and extend his theory of communication in every day critical practice; (2) it proposes an approach to applying Habermas' theory of communication to CDA; and (3) it extends the reach of critical research in information systems beyond micro-level organizational concerns and opens up to critical reflection and debate on the impact of systematically distorted communication about technology in the public sphere.

MXit it up in the media: Media discourse analysis on a mobile instant messaging system

“…For example, in analysing the South African government's view on ICT for development, Roode et al (2007) selected three speeches from a large pool of government officials' speeches. Such approaches have been criticised by Stahl (2004b) and Cukier et al (2008) as having the potential of being selective; how does one prove that the researcher did not intentionally select documents to prove a point (Stahl, 2004b;Cukier et al 2008)? They propose a CDA technique which addresses this problem by combining content analysis and hermeneutics approaches to critically analyse a large corpus.…”

“…Sincerity requires congruity between what is communicated and is meant or the intention underlying on the one hand, and on the other hand the intention expressed in the communication (Cukier et al, 2008). The sincerity of a communication may be assessed in a number of ways.…”

“…Use of jargon, emotive words, and metaphors may influence the nature of the discourse. Use of technical words may also serve to influence the opinion of the listener; technical terms are meant to convey a message that the idea being promoted is valuable (Michalos, 1986 as cited by Cukier et al 2008). …”

“…Since it is uttered in the subjective world, a sincerity claim is difficult to test and can only be inferred (Cukier et al 2008). As Cukier et al (2008) state, sincerity can be assessed by whether the facts (real and assumed) are consistent with what is contained in the discourse.…”

“…As Cukier et al (2008) state, sincerity can be assessed by whether the facts (real and assumed) are consistent with what is contained in the discourse. Sincerity of a speaker can also be assessed by looking at stylistic choices since they (the stylistic choices) may signal the unsaid speaker's opinion of the subjects (Van Dijk, 1991 as cited by Cukier et al 2008). Use of jargon, emotive words, and metaphors may influence the nature of the discourse.…”