Tobacco Control Intervention:A Comparative Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Video Advertisements in China and Australia

Significant differences in tobacco-control initiatives and achievements between Australia and China have been witnessed in the world,despite the fact that thecountries share the Asia-pacific region and have intimate relationships.The smoking rate in Australia has been on a downward trend since the 1980s and therefore Australia has been portrayed as a“dark market”by global tobacco industry companies.However in China,cigarette smoking is the chief killer that causes deadly health risks to both direct users of tobacco and people exposed to second-hand smoke.Non-communicable diseases due to this have caused great burden to the national medical resources.As a vital intervention tool of mass media campaign,public health advertisements on tobacco-control have played an important role in influencing the cognition and behavior of recipients.This study aims to compare the strategies adopted by the advertisements in Australia and China through corpus-driven multimodal discourse analysis to conduct quantitative analysis and qualitative case study.The results of comparative analysis indicate different pathways of tobacco-control advertisements constructions in the two countries that Australian tobacco-control advertisements achieved better in terms of health communication intervention to encourage cessation among smokers and reduce smoking initiation among potential smokers at the population level.To be compared,Chinese tobacco-control advertisements placed a heavier emphasis on the health hazards caused by second-hand smoking to protect people from the attributable morbidity and mortality.From the perspective of content theme,this study argues that Chinese tobacco-control advertisements should shift the focus to the health damage of smoking to smokers which is more targeted and fundamental.From the perspective of multimodal presentations of the video advertisements,a more prominent demonstration of the health damage is recommended.Moreover,this study argues that cultural-oriented strategies should be developed in the tobacco-control advertisements if considering the cigarette sharing and gifting social phenomenon in the Chinese society.

Multimodal Discourse Analysis-A Corpus-based Study

According to multimodal discourse analysis(MDA),different kinds of semiotic modes work together to conduct meaning.Previous studies on MDA only involve case analysis.Nowadays,scholars tend to establish multimodal corpora to provide a more fuller and comprehensive study on multimodal discourses.In this paper,the author will look at some grand thesis about multimodal corpora and summarize the development of multimodal corpora.

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of the Cosmetic Advertisement: Takingthe Poster of STEEROREAR as an Example

Because of the high speed of the development of technology,the traditional way to transmit information through language is gradually replaced by the newly appeared multimodal way of analyzing.This paper takes one cosmetic advertisement of STEERO-REAR as an example,aiming to analyze those adopted modalities in the poster.After analyzing,it is found that the elements,like color and position of the participants,contribute to the meaning construction in an organic way.The meaning and purpose of the producer are realized through the construction of representational meaning,interactive meaning and compositional meaning.

Meaning Construction of 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exposition Emblem from the Perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis

The multimodal discourse has been playing a significant role in modern society since its springing-up from the 1990s.Based on the theoretical framework of Visual Grammar(VG)put forward by Kress&van Leeuwen(1996),this study,from the per⁃spective of multimodal discourse analysis,aims at exploring the meaning construction in the emblem of 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exposition.It is found that an emblem can be interpreted with other modes such as visual image,color and pattern de⁃sign apart from verbal language,which will not only work to participate in the overall meaning construction with mutual interaction,but also analyze how sociocultural background,local customs and humanity spirit are reflected through these forms.

The Subtitle Translation of Movie from the Perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis

With the development of science and technology,especially the development of digital technology,mankind has entered the age of multimedia,and the mode of human life and communication have undergone profound changes.As a single communicative mode,language has been gradually replaced by complex communicative mode composed of language,image and sound.Multimodal discourse analysis provides a new perspective for discourse analysis composed of a variety of symbols,which can help readers understand how symbols such as images and music work together and form meanings.Firm analysis is often analyzed from the perspective of psychology,aesthetics and other macro aspects,but seldom from the perspective of linguistics.The paper analyzes how the theory of multimodal discourse analysis affects the translation of film by discussing the interaction between film translation and multimodal modes in the film Pride and Prejudice.

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Meaning Construction of Real Estate Posters

Posters have been one of the main research subjects in the Systemic-Functional Linguistics. Nowadays, posters are full of various types of semiotic modes with their wide applications of multimodality. This phenomenon is reflected in real estate posters as well, therefore, this thesis hopes to explore their essence of using multimodality and discussing meaning construction of the real estate posters.

A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Lingnan Cultural Promotional Videos on Social Media

In recent years,more and more directors of culture and tourism have taken part in the promotion of local cultural tourism by cross-dressing,talent shows,and pushing their limits on self-media platforms.This study investigates short videos of Lingnan culture promoted by directors general and deputy directors general of the Culture,Radio,Television,Tourism,and Sports Bureau of counties and cities in Guangdong Province on social media by the method of multimodal critical discourse analysis.The analysis of 33 videos shows that Lingnan culture is a domineering and confident culture,historical culture,graceful and elegant culture,and vibrant and active culture.Domineering and confident culture is embedded in the utterances and behaviors of the directors general or deputy directors general in the video.Historical culture is realized through the conversation with historical figures through time travel.Graceful and elegant culture is constructed in the depiction of sceneries and the depiction of characters’manners.Vibrant and active culture is represented in the depiction of the characters’actional process and analytical process.

The Media Images of Old Influencers on TikTok:A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis

Drawing on the insights from multimodal critical discourse analysis,this study mainly focuses on two super-gerontic celebrities by selecting 60 videos to elucidate how their images are represented through linguistic(e.g.,captions,and hashtags)and other semiotic resources(e.g.,accessories,semiotic tools,and etc.).The findings suggest that images of the old celebrities are characterized as being attractive,wise,stylish,healthy and young,indicating that they are breaking up the stereotypical images of old people who are unattractive,dependent and senile.The phenomenon of old influencers making themselves visible on the social media suggests that they are moving towards successful aging with the backdrop of aging society in China.This present study suggests that multimodal construction of old celebrities can inform relevant practice to combat ageism in the media and helps to empower the old people in the media discourse.In doing so,the pedagogical implication of present study lies in its education about how we view aging in the aging society.

A multimodal analysis of Piggyvest's animated advertisement videos

This study examines the persuasive strategies in selected animated advertisement videos by Piggyvest,the first and one of the fastest-growing online savings platforms in Nigeria,whose modus operandi is quite different from those of the conventional banking system.Drawing insights from Kress and van Leeuwen's(2006.Reading images:The grammar of visual design,2nd edn.New York:Routledge)Multimodal Discourse Analytic framework,12 samples of Piggyvest's animated videos(for advertisements)were randomly sampled out of the 30 videos initially purposively sampled.Findings reveal metaphorisation of financial management and discipline,playing around gender-related ideas on finances,foregrounding of aspirations and financial decisions,depiction of cognitive strength and weakness on money matters,and striking a connection between money and relationships are persuasive strategies deployed in the animated advertisement videos by Piggyvest to appeal to their target audience.

Oil as narcotic or as medicine:the DISEASE metaphor in political cartoons on energy crisis

The present paper explores how the issue of the current energy crisis in the wake of the Covid-19 and Ukraine war was constructed by political cartoons.Adopting Critical Multimodal Metaphor Scenario Analysis,this paper focuses on the DISEASE metaphor scenario,one of the most recurring scenarios in political cartoons on this topic,and specifically emphasizes how the METHOD OF TREATMENT,one of the structural elements in the scenario,is represented.The analysis reveals that two predominant scenarios cOnstitute the representations of the METHOD OF TREATMENT:NARCOTIC Scenario and MEDICINE scenario.They differ in entailments:one frames fossil energy as detrimental narcotic while the other frames it as therapeutic medicine.By means of the two scenarios,these cartoons convey strong criticism of the major involvers in the energy crisis,namely,the E.U.,Russia,and the U.S.The cartoons make full use of the dynamic interplay of visual and/or verbal metonymy,metaphor,and narrative to elicit associations,assumptions and evaluations in the viewers,helping facilitate understanding and constructing a view of the crisis reality.The present analysis sheds light on the way cartoonists reshape the public point of view in the framing of specific event(s).