The language of threat

Abstract

This paper examined news reports published by a Swedish alternative newspaper in connection with the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in June 2020. The primary objective was to assess the role of strategic employment of distinctive linguistic features in shaping a portrayal of the protests through implications of threat, fear, and xenophobia. As the results indicate, the characteristics that contribute the most to such a depiction consistently involve an ominous vision of the spatial and ideological proximity of external entities and values to the in-group (‘us’). These findings are related to the particulars of the corpus, as the purpose of news reports is to create a sense of immediacy and reduce distance. However, since the goal of alternative news is to appeal to readers’ sensibilities in critical areas of their lives, despite masquerading as traditional media, these outlets tend to communicate threat and concern rather than a reliable picture of reality.