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Когнитивно-семиотический подход к анализу поликодовых медиатекстов через призму теории социальных представлений (на материале политических карикатур о кризисе 2022 года)
The growing influence of media communications on social processes, as well as the dominance of multimodal formats of media content, necessitates the development of an interdisciplinary methodological approach focused on the study of social knowledge through the analysis of multimodal media materials. The objectives of the presented study are to substantiate the productivity of the provisions of the theory of social representations of S. Moscovici in the study of media discourse as well as to test the developed cognitive-semiotic approach to the analysis of media texts. In modern society, social representations are formed and transmitted in the process of interaction with the media as a communication channel and a subject. Accordingly, it is reasonable to single out media social representations (MSR) constructed and reflected in media discourse. Media social representations could be objectified through political cartoons. Graphic and lexical means of anchoring and objectification strategies allow us to reconstruct part of the media social representations as components of the collective cognitive space. A total of 72 cartoons created by cartoonists and posted on the website cartoonmovement.com were analyzed. The analytical procedure included thematic analysis, identification of key lexical and graphic means reflecting ideas about the crisis. The strategies of anchoring and objectification were implemented through direct nominations, connotative vocabulary or images of objects, qualities, artifacts, metaphors, basic antinomies, cognitive blending, personification techniques etc. As a result of the thematic analysis, six aspects of the global crisis were identified: energy, the environment, refugees, the economy, food crisis and the global crisis in general. The economic crisis is the core of MSR as it affects people’s basic needs. The reasons for the crisis are the inaction of the authorities and the military conflict. The victims are the countries of Africa, the Global South and the European Union. The perception of current events is dominated by sympathy for the victims, despair, and hopelessness. There is also a clear perception that ordinary people are unable to influence the events taking place and prevent negative consequences.