Hegemony and authority in health: The World Health Organization in Indonesian online news coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The idea of hegemony and authority in language practice does exist in the development of linguistics and critical discourse studies. It attracts great attention at any time, moreover during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study uncovers the realization of the hegemony and authority of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic by online Indonesian media. More specifically, the focus is on the representation of the hegemony and authority of the WHO and their linguistic realization in Indonesian news discourse. The study used van Dijk’s framework of Critical Discourse Studies to examine five news reports from five Indonesian media related to the WHO stance and standards in the handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The study employed van Dijk’s macrostructure analysis to uncover the surface of the news, and Halliday’s transitivity as the microstructure analysis. Overall, the study found that the online Indonesian media coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic automatedly reinforced and maintained the power and authority of the WHO. On the one hand, this fact is beneficial for the readers since they will receive coverage from reputable sources. On the other hand, there is a potential that the WHO’s power and authority can be misused to enhance some parties’ interests, for instance, in promoting one’s vaccine brand.