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Article published In: Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 20:4 (2021) ► pp.493–514

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The Bangkok Blast as a finger-pointing blame game

How attitudinal positioning construes a divided polity

 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University
 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University
 | Rajamangala University of Technology Isan
Published online: 13 November 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.20014.hua
Abstract
This article sets out to explore the potential of journalistic attitudinal positioning in dis/aligning readers into different feeling and moral communities in traumatic news event. To do so, it utilises the appraisal framework to examine how the Bangkok Post and the New York Times present and represent ‘attitude’ of different news actors in the coverage of the Bangkok Blast. Analytical findings show that while journalistic attitudinal positioning constitutes a means of political empowerment through bringing in otherwise marginal and silenced voices, it also opens up a space for journalists to evaluate risks and negotiate responsibilities. News reports of the Bangkok Blast eventually construe the Thai society as divided by representing the event as a blame game. The findings also extend the conceptual scope of symbolic codes of victims, villain and hero by resorting to attitudinal resources.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The unifying and dividing potential of attitudinal positioning: A brief review
  • 3.Analytical resources
  • 4.Methodology
    • 4.1Data collection
    • 4.2Data annotation
  • 5.Analytical findings
    • 5.1Emotional positioning of news actors
      • 5.1.1Unhappiness in the BKP and the NYT datasets
      • 5.1.2Insecurity in the BKP and the NYT datasets
      • 5.1.3Dis/inclination in the BKP and the NYT datasets
    • 5.2Judging news actors
      • 5.2.1Capacity in the BKP and the NYT datasets
      • 5.2.2Tenacity in the BKP and the NYT datasets
      • 5.2.3Propriety in the BKP and the NYT datasets
    • 5.3Appreciating news events
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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