Date of Publication

2024

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English Language Education

Subject Categories

Information Literacy

College

Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education

Department/Unit

Dept of English and Applied Linguistics

Thesis Advisor

Paolo Niño M. Valdez

Defense Panel Chair

Jennifer Tan-De Ramos

Defense Panel Member

Sterling M. Plata
Raymund Victor M. Vitorio

Abstract/Summary

In recent years, fake news has become a pressing concern in the Philippines, influencing various domains of society, including information dissemination and political discourse. As fake news continues to thrive in digital environments, particularly on social media platforms, understanding the synergy between text and images becomes essential for combating misinformation. Drawing from the theoretical frames of van Dijk (2001) and Martinec and Salway (2005), the research adopts a multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) approach to the investigation of the discourse patterns, linguistic features, and multimodal properties of fake news articles. Through a qualitative coding and analysis of articles sourced from Rappler and Vera Files fact-check exposés, the research identifies how fake news either imitates or diverges from the discursive constructions of legitimate news. Moreover, findings reveal that the fake news discourse is largely shaped by the affordances of the digital environment where it is exponentially propagated. In many cases, visual content is used strategically to complement or exaggerate textual claims, creating a sense of legitimacy and newsworthiness. However, some articles also deploy textual and visual strategies to mislead readers or generate ambiguity. This study shows that the status relations and logico-semantic relations between images and texts in fake news discourse play a pivotal role in influencing readers' interpretations and responses. Guided by Luke and Freebody’s (1999) four resource model, the findings offer insights relevant to critical literacy instruction, emphasizing the importance of teaching students to engage with multimodal texts, particularly fake news articles and other forms of misinformation. This research addresses the pedagogical gap in the current curriculum by demonstrating how the features of fake news articles may be instructive in teaching students to become effective code breakers, text participants, text users, and text critics. By understanding how textual and multimodal resources function in tandem to deliver disinformation, learners can develop the critical literacy skills necessary to navigate post-truth environments. As the Philippines faces ongoing political disinformation and fake news crisis, the study proposes that the Matatag curriculum’s literacy education be enhanced by maximizing pedagogical opportunities focusing not only on evaluating textual content but also account for multimodal elements. In conclusion, this research highlights the need for educators and policymakers to incorporate concepts of disinformation into the curriculum to foster critical literacy. The implications extend beyond education, providing a framework for researchers to discursively analyze how fake news is produced, consumed, and disseminated by the general public. As disinformation evolves with digital platforms, the ability to dissect the interplay of text and visuals becomes crucial for empowering individuals to engage critically with media content. This study contributes to the growing field of multimodal critical discourse analysis by bridging it with critical literacy instruction, offering a model for combating fake news in both educational and scholarly spheres.

Keywords: fake news, critical literacy, multimodal critical discourse analysis, text-image relations, discourse patterns, linguistic features, multimodal properties, news discourse, post-truth, misinformation, disinformation

Abstract Format

html

Note

Undated. Publication date supplied.

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Fake news—Philippines; Disinformation—Philippines; Misinformation—Philippines; Media literacy—Philippines; Information literacy; Discourse analysis

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Embargo Period

4-1-2028

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Available for download on Saturday, April 01, 2028

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