The Voices of Twitter: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racial Discourses on Twitter Following the Alt-Right March on Charlottesville, Virginia

Abstract

This chapter takes a critical look at the belief that Twitter allows for the kind of dialogue essential to democracy by bringing together disparate voices. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, Dyer and Hakkola analyze Twitter responses to the 2017 Alt-right march held in Charlottesville, Virginia for signs of such dialogue. Results show that tweets either augmented or resisted the colorblind discourse that has dominated political discussions in the United States for the past decades. The divisions between the various sides of the debate lead the authors to conclude that discussions on Twitter might show the potential for the kind of dialogue needed for democracy but the lack of mutual engagement means that these interactions seem to only further divide the country.