🧵 5/5

The takeaway? Language is never neutral. Even small phonetic choices can carry social meaning, revealing how deeply politics, identity & perception are embedded in everyday speech.

#langsky #linguistics #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

🧵 4/5

The same dynamics may now be emerging around “Iran,” particularly in political discourse, where pronunciation can subtly construct distance, alignment or respect.

#langsky #linguistics #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

🧵 3/5

Crucially, these differences are not just produced; they’re perceived. Listeners actively interpret speech sounds as social & political cues.

#langsky #linguistics #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

🧵 2/5

Previous studies on the pronunciation of “Iraq” found clear partisan patterns: more “native-like” pronunciations were associated with multicultural sensitivity while anglicised versions aligned more with conservative positions.

#langsky #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

🧵 1/5

Drawing on research in sociolinguistics, it shows how pronunciation choices can reflect political identity, cultural attitudes & even ideological positioning.

#langsky #linguistics #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation Both President Trump and Vice President Vance pronounce Iran as ‘Ih-RAN,’ not ‘Ih-RON.’ A linguist says that how the country’s name is pronounced may be a political choice.

This article by Valerie Fridland explores how different pronunciations of Iran (“Ih-ron” vs “Ih-ran”) can signal more than accent or habit.

🔗 tinyurl.com/2w3zp8f5

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#langsky #linguistics #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

Researching the impartiality of political news

🧵 6/6

Keep an eye on our website to stay up-to-date with what we find: www.enhancingimpartiality.com

#polsky #politics #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication #polls

🧵 4/6

3. Voter behaviour is more fluid but still structured: There is more switching between parties, but largely within ideological blocs, not between them.

#polsky #politics #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication #polls

🧵 3/6

2. Small changes have big consequences: A 2–3% swing can move a party from second to fourth place, or reshape entire electoral races.

#polsky #politics #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication #polls

🧵 2/6

So why does everything feel so volatile?

1. We’re no longer in a two-party system: The UK is now operating in a fragmented five-party landscape where even small shifts can dramatically reshuffle rankings.

#polsky #politics #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication #polls

‘Unprecedented territory’: are UK polls as volatile as they seem? – in charts In what is beginning to look like a fragmented five-party system, small swings carry outsized political consequences

UK politics might feel chaotic right now but the data tells a more stable (& more interesting) story.

🔗 tinyurl.com/45yn9mr7

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#polsky #politics #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication #polls

"Throughout the book, several gems provide thought-provoking ideas and challenges." — @choicereviews.bsky.social

#SundayReview #ReadUP tinyurl.com/9hyuxcbh

#Education #PoliticalCommunication #PublicPolicy

🧵 6/7

Rather than following established rhetorical norms for addressing the public during moments of conflict, the communication style appears designed to signal defiance of institutional expectations & traditional political conventions.

#langsky #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse

🧵 5/7

The article describes this as a form of “kill talk” – language that frames violence in heroic or competitive terms while distancing audiences from the human costs of war.

#langsky #linguistics #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

🧵 4/7

From a communication perspective, the author argues that this rhetoric reflects a style shaped by far-right media culture, where political communication often prioritises confrontation, spectacle & displays of strength.

#langsky #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

🧵 3/7

The article contrasts this with Hegseth’s briefings, which used combative language, action-movie metaphors & phrases emphasising “dominance,” “winning,” & “destruction.”

#langsky #linguistics #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

🧵 2/7

Historically, U.S. defense leaders have framed military action in terms of strategy, responsibility & the protection of civilians, speaking in a measured way intended to justify decisions to the public.

#langsky #linguistics #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

🧵 1/7

The article , arguing that his language marks a significant departure from the tone traditionally expected of senior officials during wartime.

#langsky #linguistics #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

I’ve studied MAGA rhetoric for a decade, and this is what I see in Hegseth’s boasts, action-movie one-liners and gloating over dominance Why does Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brag and gloat in his statements about the Iran war? In the MAGA media world, war is a game, a test of masculine fortitude.

A recent article analyses the rhetoric used by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following the first days of the 2026 U.S.–Israeli military operations in Iran.

🔗 tinyurl.com/y9y5aevj

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#langsky #linguistics #politicalcommunication #politicaldiscourse #USpolitics

Matthew George, ActionSA’s National Communications Director, shared insights on political communication and media relations, describing himself as a “newsmaker” shaping narratives and feeding information into the news cycle.

#DepartmentofJournalism #StellenboschUniversity #PoliticalCommunication

A young woman with long hair covers part of her face with her hand while smiling shyly, suggesting embarrassment. The image includes the text: ‘Embarrassment: When Political Identity Slips’ and a MORES glossary icon. Image credit: Tabitha Turner via Unsplash. Composition by MORES.

Embarrassment emerges when the identity we meant to project slips in plain sight.

In everyday life, it helps repair social norms. In politics, the emotion can be amplified to question credibility or authenticity. 🧪

Read more: bit.ly/40rdZDI

#MORESresearch #PoliticalCommunication

Image from image_2.jpg

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's media office emphasized its exclusive authority to issue statements on his positions, highlighting the importance of official channels in Lebanon’s politically diverse landscape.

#Lebanon #NabihBerri #PoliticalCommunication

I was just about to post this 🙂

For anyone interested in how this analysis took place, @theguardian.com have also published an article on their methodology.

🔗 tinyurl.com/3drvc9z4

#langsky #linguistics #immigration #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication

🧵 7/7

If broadcasters fear legal or political repercussions, they may restrict political discussion voluntarily, producing a chilling effect without any formal censorship.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 5/7

That is why the incident matters. The rule was not enforced by regulators. Instead, the concern appears to have come from corporate caution amid political pressure.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 4/7

Over time, regulators have interpreted this broadly, extending it even to late-night talk shows & comedy interview programmes.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 3/7

Since 1959, U.S. legislation has exempted “bona fide” news interviews from equal-time requirements specifically to prevent broadcasters from avoiding political coverage out of legal risk.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 2/7

The network warned the segment might trigger the U.S. “equal time rule”, a broadcasting regulation requiring candidates to receive comparable access to airtime.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 1/7

@sethdashley.bsky.social examines the controversy involving Stephen Colbert, who aired — & then discarded — a network legal statement after CBS advised him not to broadcast an interview with a political candidate.

#impartialityproject #impartiality #mediaregulation #politicalcommunication

🧵 6/7

Emerging evidence now suggests average speeds have fallen and collisions and casualties have decreased, though environmental & behaviour-change effects remain less clear.

#Senedd #Seneddelection #politicalcommunication