Is Democratic Biopolitics Possible during a Pandemic? A Case Study of Russian, German and French Media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2023.4.2416Keywords:
biopolitics, pandemic, media, ideologeme, propagandaAbstract
The theoretical field of biopolitics — currently being actively developed — is used in this study as a basis for understanding the actions of governments and communities represented by state and non-state media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Media narratives about the pandemic are analyzed in the context of the biopolitical theories proposed by Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, and Carsten Schubert. It is assumed that in the neo-liberal regimes of the European Union, the mass media will broadcast ideas that correspond to state biopolitical projects. The study aimed at assessing the capacity of the mass media to become an actor of “democratic biopolitics”. The authors conduct a comparative analysis of Russian, German, and French media materials about the pandemic published during four its waves (January 2020 — March 2022). Total number of analysed texts amounted to 21658 in three Russian media, 59149 in German and 58432 in French media.
The study is based on the propaganda model of Herman and Chomsky, and at the instrumental level, the authors use the method of searching for “contextual ideologemes”. The contextual ideologeme “vaccination” plays a key role in the analysis of media discourse. The results of the study show that the media are actors of biopolitics and a communication channel connecting the state, business, and society. Mass media discourse can be considered as an editorial policy tool behind which stands the owner who is not directly involved in the pharmaceutical business, but for various reasons supports the biopolitical practices of the government. Interaction with the media in the field of biopolitical programs on the part of the state and business requires further research.
Acknowledgements. The research was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant no. 22-28-00015).
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