'Piketty is a genius, but … ': an analysis of journalistic delegitimation of Thomas Piketty's economic policy proposals. Issue 3 (27th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rieder, Maria; Theine, Hendrik
• Is Part Of: Critical discourse studies. Volume 16:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 248
• Page End: 263
• Publication Date: 2019-05-27
• Subjects: Thomas Piketty -- economic inequality -- economic ideology -- redistribution policies -- social semiotics -- critical discourse analysis -- economic discourse -- media discourse -- legitimation strategies; Critical discourse analysis -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1080/17405904.2019.1573148
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-5904

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The continued rise of socio-economic inequality over the past decades with its connected political outcomes such as the Brexit vote in the UK, and the election of Donald Trump are currently a matter of intense debate both in academia and in journalism. One significant sign of the heightened interest was the surprise popularity of Thomas Piketty's Capital in the twenty-first Century . The book reached the top of the bestseller lists and was described as a 'media sensation', with Piketty himself as a 'rock star economist'. This paper, drawing from a major international and cross-disciplinary study, investigates the print media treatment in four European countries of economic policy proposals presented in Capital . Applying social semiotic and critical discourse analysis, we specifically focus on articles which are in disagreement with these proposals and identify five categories of counterarguments used against Piketty: authorisation, moralisation, rationalisation, portrayal of victimhood and inevitability. Providing textual and linguistic examples we demonstrate how the use of linguistic resources normalises and conventionalises ideology-laden discourses of economic means (taxation) and effects, reinforcing particular views of social relations and class as common sense and therewith upholding and perpetuating power relations and inequalities.