The Use of Semiotic Choices in Social Media

Abstract

The present study examines the choices of semiotic in social media from a multimodal critical discourse analysis perspective. The study of signs and their meaning in society is known as semiotics. A sign is anything that can be used to represent something else – in other words, anything that has the ability to convey meaning. As a result, words, drawings, and photographs can all be used as signs. The aims of the study are to analyze, firstly; the process of word choices and the hidden ideologies behind such choices. Secondly, analyze the dimensions of images and the way of representing the image. Tools of analysis found in Kress & van Leeuwen (2006), and Fairclough (1989) are used to analyze the linguistic elements specially ‘quoted verbs” and the extra linguistic elements (semiotics) in the selected images that the accompany of news items. Using quoted verbs is a way to express the hidden means and unseen ideologies of the speaker. Visuals, like color, font, shot, distance and others are used relatively different to convey a particular discourse that is completely paradoxical to the social norms.