Digital Polyphony and Crisis Discourse: Negotiating Linguistic Hegemony and Resistance in New Media

Abstract

This paper critically examines how specific linguistic features are foregrounded in polyphonic new media discourse during periods of crisis or heightened public discourse. Drawing upon Bakhtin's theory of polyphony to analyze the multiplicity of voices and foregrounding theory to identify prominent linguistic choices, this research explores how dominant narratives exert linguistic hegemony through the strategic foregrounding of specific terms, phrases, and discursive styles. Concurrently, it investigates how marginalized voices engage in linguistic resistance, utilizing subtle or overt foregrounding techniques to carve out space for alternative polyphonic interpretations. The study employs a critical lens to reveal the power dynamics embedded in new media language, analyzing how platforms' algorithmic functions contribute to or challenge the foregrounding of dominant narratives.This research aims to illuminate the impact of these mechanisms on the formation of public opinion and the perceived legitimacy of various voices, critically examining the intersection of language, power, and algorithms in crisis narratives through the mechanism of foregrounding (both human and algorithmic) to achieve or resist linguistic hegemony.