Unveiling Impoliteness Strategies in Political Discourse: A Case Study of Online Press Conferences and Media Platforms during the Political Crisis in Pakistan

Abstract

This research endeavors to scrutinize the impoliteness strategies employed by Pakistani political figures amidst political censorship and the prevailing political turmoil, with a particular emphasis on their utilization of social media and press conferences. The investigation seeks to dissect the communicative patterns exhibited by the designated political elite, delving into the ubiquity and characteristics of impoliteness strategies, encompassing behaviors such as talking over interlocutors, manifestations of aggressive body language, employment of derogatory appellations, initiation of insults and personal invectives, as well as the application of sarcasm and irony. Given the heightened prevalence of social media usage, the study predominantly concentrates on virtual press conferences and assorted online media platforms exploited by politicians to attribute blame and participate in contentious dialogues with their adversaries. Through an examination of these impoliteness strategies, the primary objective of this inquiry is to elucidate the intricacies of political communication amid political censorship and the enduring political crisis, delineating its repercussions on democratic processes and the state of public discourse within the context of Pakistan.