Communicative Strategy of Discrediting Opponents in the Russian Political Blogosphere

Abstract

Maintaining a network diary (blog) requires certain communication skills from the author, which are based on the pragmatic principles of cooperative cooperation and politeness. However, in cases where it is necessary to attract the attention of the audience, “heat up interest, elicit an emotional reaction, tend subscribers to their side, forming certain opinions and judgments, bloggers can resort to a defamation type of speech behavior based on speech aggression. Aggressiveness directed against competitors in political struggle is an ontological property of political communication, so it is no accident in the political blogosphere that one of the leading communicative strategies based on speech aggression is the strategy of discrediting opponents.The article is devoted to analysis of the discrediting opponents’ strategy in posts published in the section “Blogs” on the website of the radio station “Echo of Moscow”, identification of appropriate tactics and language means of discrediting.The discourse analysis of blogs using linguostilistic and lingvoideological analysis of text’s language units showed that the desire of the subject of political communication to discredit the opponent can be embodied by the following communicative tactics: unsubstantiated accusation, insult, derision, irony and sarcasm, deliberate exaggeration of any shortcomings, negative characterization of the professional competences of the opponent, rejection of the actions committed or planned by him, criticism of the opinions and judgments expressed, labeling, negative forecast of the development of events, intimidation or threat, false definition, negative comparison, etc.