Keywords
metaphor
«battle of vaccines»
«battle for the vaccine»
information struggle
critical discourse analysis
Abstract
Introduction. In the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, the metaphorical phrases «battle of vaccines» and «battle for the vaccine» were involved in the field of information struggle. Discursive strategies of the media coverage of the processes of production and distribution of vaccines, as it is presented in the discursive practices of using those key metaphors, require special attention from researchers.
Relevance of the study. From the standpoint of critical discourse analysis, the use of those metaphors as a reflection of the informational struggle in media discursive practices is considered. The purpose of the investigation is to identify the specifics of their use in the discursive practices of the Ukrainian media in 2020–2021, in comparison with the discursive practices of Russian propaganda regarding the promotion of the «Sputnik V» vaccine.
Methodology. Based on the approach of critical discourse study, the analysis of the strategies of using the conceptual metaphors «battle of vaccines» and «battle for the vaccine» in the discursive practices of domestic and foreign media is carried out. The article presents the results of a comparative analysis conducted within the framework of a joint project of an international team of scientists, i.e., an online dictionary «In Other Words – A Contextualized Dictionary to Problematize Otherness».
Results. The «battle of vaccines» and «battle for the vaccine» as a metaphorical field of informational struggle demonstrate fundamentally different approaches on the part of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, bring to the fore different priorities and content dominants in official, political, and media discursive practices. The content dominants are determined by the internal and external policy of the state, as well as the editorial policy of the media.
Conclusions. In the Ukrainian media environment, discursive strategies of multifaceted critical coverage of the processes of invention, testing and production of vaccines, their testing and distribution, as well as the organization of the vaccination process are involved in the metaphorical field. Information about the «Sputnik V» vaccine which had significant military potential in its content was used by the authorities of the Russian Federation as a weapon of hybrid warfare.
References
1. Yuk-ping Lo, C. (2020), «The COVID-19 Vaccine Race in the New Cold War», SOAS University of London. China Institute, available at: https://blogs.soas.ac.uk/china-institute/2020/12/16/ the-covid-19-vaccine-race-in-the-new-cold-war/ (accessed 08 August 2022).
2. Febryantsyah, M.L. (2021), «The Beneficial Rivalry of «Vaccine War», Warung Sains Teknology, available at: https://warstek.com/the-beneficial-rivalry-of-vaccine-war/ (accessed 08 August 2022).
3. Vankovska, B. (2021), «Geopolitics of Vaccines: War by Other Means?», Безбедносни дијалози / Security dialogues, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 41–56.
4. Moreno, J.D., Sándor, J. & Schmidt, U. (2021), «The Vaccination Cold War», The Hastings Center Report, no. 51 (5), pp. 12–17. DOI: 10.1002/hast.1282.
5. Van Dijk, T.A. (2008), Discourse and Power, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 320 p.
6. Wodak, R. (2015), The Politics of Fear. What Right-Wing Discourses Mean, SAGE, London, 238 p.
7. Giorgis, P., Mavrodieva, I., Odeniyi, V., Semenets, O. et al. (2021), «In Other Words. A critical, creative, collaborative project», Rhetoric and Communications, issue 46, pp. 143–155.
8. Semenets, O. (2022), ««Battle of vaccines» and «battle for the vaccine» («Битва вакцин» та «битва за вакцину»)», In Other Words – A Contextualized Dictionary to Problematize Otherness, available at: https://www.iowdictionary.org/wordC19/ua/«battle%20of%20vaccines»%20 and%20«battle%20for%20the%20vaccine» (accessed 08 August 2022).
9. Bilodid, I.K. (Ed.) (1970), Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language : in 11 volumes, vol. 1, Naukova dumka, Kyiv, 799 p.
10. Fakty tyzhnia (2021), «The battle of the vaccines. Which one is better and how much will it cost Ukraine?», available at: https://ft.ictv.ua/ru/videos/bytva-vaktsyn-yaka-krashha-ta-uskilky-obijdetsya-ukrayini-fakty-tyzhnya-07-03/ (accessed 08 August 2022).
11. Krasovskaya, O., Bortnyk, R. (2021), «Battle of vaccines: the epidemic is the best business», Ukrainian Institute of Politics, available at: https://uiamp.org.ua/bitva-vakcin-epidemiyaluchshiy-biznes (accessed 08 August 2022).
12. Texty.org.ua (2021), «Rating sellers. A base of pseudo-sociologists and hidden PR workers», available at: https://texty.org.ua/d/socio/ (accessed 08 August 2022).
13. Timofeev, V., Martynko, K. (2021), «The battle of vaccines: the more drugs, the better», KP v Ukrayne, available at: https://kp.ua/covid/699583-bytva-vaktsyn-chem-bolshe-preparatovtem-luchshe (accessed 08 August 2022).
14. Institute of Mass Information (2018), «Anti-rating of news. Analysis of the top 50 Ukrainian sites – research by IMI and «Texts», available at: https://imi.org.ua/news/antyretynh-novyn-analiz-top-50-ukrains-kykh-sa-tiv-doslidzhennia-imi-ta-tekstiv-i21849 (accessed 08 August 2022).
15. Sayenko, O. (2021), «Battle for the vaccine. Why does the Government not start an information campaign on vaccination», Liga.net, available at: https://blog.liga.net/user/ osaienko/article/38967 (accessed 08 August 2022).
16. Kuznetsova, I. (2021), «Minister Stepanov: «Discrediting the vaccine is sabotage against one’s own people», Radio Svoboda, available at: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/stepanov-provaktsynatsiyu-v-ukrayini/31171713.html (accessed 08 August 2022).
17. TSN (2021), «Scandal in Europe: a real battle for a vaccine against COVID-19 is unfolding between countries», available at: https://tsn.ua/svit/skandal-u-yevropi-mizh-krayinamirozgortayetsya-spravzhnya-bitva-za-vakcinu-vid-covid-19-1716879.html (accessed 08 August 2022).
18. Prokhorenko, E. (2021), «Spreading disinformation and fakes about vaccination aims to weaken Ukraine – experts», Apteka.online.ua, no. 7 (1278), available at: https://www.apteka.ua/ article/584491 (accessed 08 August 2022).
19. Nikitsky, S. (2021), «Battle of Vaccines», Governors.Ru, available at: https://governors. ru/expert/Sergey-Nikitskiy/Bitva-vakczin/181 (accessed 08 August 2022).
20. Nakashima, E., Booth, W. & Coletta, A. (2020), «U.S., Britain and Canada say Russian cyberspies are trying to steal coronavirus vaccine research», The Washington Post, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/uk-us-and-canada-report-russian-cyberspies-may-betrying-to-steal-vaccine-research/2020/07/16/d7c0dbd6-c765-11ea-a825-8722004e4150_story. html (accessed 08 August 2022).
21. Chance, M. (2020), «Exclusive: Russia says foreign inquiries about its potential fast-track Covid-19 vaccine are pouring in. But questions abound», CNN, available at: https://edition.cnn. com/2020/07/28/europe/russia-coronavirus-vaccine-approval-intl/index.html (accessed 08 August 2022).
22. BBC News Ukraine (2021), «Putin compared the Russian «Sputnik» to a Kalashnikov assault rifle», available at: https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-57037144 (accessed 08 August 2022).
23. Yaffa, J. (2021), «The Sputnik V Vaccine and Russia’s Race to Immunity. When the pandemic struck, scientists in Moscow set out to beat the West», The New Yorker, available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/08/the-sputnik-v-vaccine-and-russias-race-toimmunity (accessed 08 August 2022). 24. Reiter, S. with the participation of Ershov, A., Yakoreva, A. & Starostina, Y. (The Bell) (2022), «We don’t spill cola. Russia was one of the first in the world to make an effective vaccine against covid – but «Sputnik V» has not received recognition in the West. Meduza investigation», Meduza, available at: https://meduza.io/feature/2022/02/10/ne-kolu-razlivaem (accessed 08 August 2022).
25. Mogoș, A., Grapă, T. & Șandru, T. (2022), «Russian disinformation in Eastern Europe. Vaccination media frames in ro.sputnik.md. [Desinformación rusa en Europa del Este. Marcos mediáticos de la vacunación en ro.sputnik.md]», Comunicar, no. 72, pp. 33–46. DOI: 10.3916/ C72-2022-03.
26. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Official website (2020), « Interview of Volodymyr Zelenskyy for The New York Times», available at: https://www.president.gov.ua/ news/intervyu-volodimira-zelenskogo-new-york-times-65705 (accessed 08 August 2022).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.