Darren Kelsey
Biographic Data
| ID | 3673551 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Darren Kelsey |
| GIVEN NAMES | Darren |
| FAMILY NAME | Kelsey |
| SIGNATURE | KELSEY D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Newcastle University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 69 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 18 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Analysing news discourse
This chapter offers a qualitative approach to critical media research from a discourse-analytical perspective. In terms of news discourse and journalism, textual features are all seen to occur through decision-making processes in their cultural and professional contexts. The chapter begins with critical linguistics (CL), which accounts for the social production of language in news texts. It reviews how frameworks in CL developed into models of cr…
Celebrity Personas, Self-help Culture, and Collective Psychology
The self-help industry bombards us with books and messages about how to live happier lives, but their advice is not always helpful. Celebrity endorsements of self-help methods and mythologies in popular culture create communicative tensions in our collective psyche, feeding messages of hope and optimism that are often, somewhat ironically, detrimental to our happiness. As a result, we now have a growing body of anti-self-help literature telling u…
Psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling
The discourse-mythological approach (DMA) analyses psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling. The what and how of narrative warrants the concerns of discourse analysts who scrutinise the language of text and talk to understand the contexts in which narratives are constructed and their relation to social power. Discourse, semiotics and psychoanalytical theory have been synergised through the development of DMA; by mov…
News, Discourse, and Ideology
This chapter provides an historical overview of approaches to critical theory that have analyzed the ideological significance of media. It covers a range of analytical approaches to news, discourse, and ideology from critical perspectives beyond linguistics. The chapter demonstrates the growing necessity to understand the ideological and discursive practices of news given the rapid developments of digital and social media contexts. In terms of ne…
Metaphor, morality and legitimacy
This study examines the metaphors used in the British press to characterize the payday loan industry in order to develop our understanding of organizational delegitimation. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and theories of moral panic, we show how the metaphors used in the press framed the industry as a ‘moral problem’. The study identified four root metaphors that were used to undertake moral problematization: predators and parasites, orien…
Discourses of Disorder
Analyses media representations of riots, strikes and protests Riots, strikes and protests are heavily mediatised events. Media representations thus play a crucial role in narrating instances of civil disorder for the public where they define the issues at stake, delimit frames of reference and debate, and ultimately legitimise or delegitimise the actors, actions and causes involved. From a critical semiotic perspective, drawing on insights from l…
Affective mythology and 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor
There are many ways in which we can interpret the sporting, commercial and personal success of Conor McGregor whose stories, fights and social appearances are analysed in this paper. There are archetypal traits of the hero and the trickster in McGregor’s journey, persona, legacy, and the semiosis that surrounds him through the myth of the fighting Irish, all of which I consider as affective mythologies in their psycho-discursive forms. Prior to t…
Payday loans in the press
This paper analyses media coverage of payday loans in order to understand how a moral case for state intervention and regulation was constructed through forms of mythological storytelling. By analysing the archetypal qualities of media discourse, we can see how particular ideas are legitimised through the ideological mechanisms of moral stories. Stories drew on mythology of the “other world,” the flood, and the tragedy. Archetypal roles were cons…
Media and Affective Mythologies
Rituals of National Narration
This chapter analyses discourses that evoked hereditary national unity and pride through the cross-generational ‘duties’ that Britain faces as a nation. The sixtieth anniversary commemorations of VE Day enhanced the concept of a recurring cycle in Britain’s national narration, constructing Britain as a country that faces persistent threats and conflicts throughout history, but has an in-built ability to respond. The pride and poignancy of the com…
Media, Myth and Terrorism
Media, Myth and Terrorism is a rigorous case study of Blitz mythology in British newspaper responses to the July 7th bombings. Considering how the press, politicians and the public were caught up in p
Financial crisis and austerity
We begin our introduction to this special issue by considering the interdisciplinary collaborations behind this project before reviewing previous research on political rhetoric, financial reporting and media coverage of austerity in transnational contexts. We consider aspects of moral storytelling that have arisen through the contextual complexities of societies in financial crisis and other moral tales of austerity in political rhetoric. Whilst …
Hero Mythology and Right-Wing Populism
This paper is concerned with mythology as a discursive practice of journalistic storytelling. By adopting a discourse-mythological approach, I analyse Mail Online articles about UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader, Nigel Farage. Archetypal traits of mythological Heroism in the Mail Online are constructed through the ideological mechanisms of populist discourse; through Farage's image as a man of the people who distinguishes himself from the polit…
Defining the 'sick society
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, acts of violence and civil disobedience occurred in 66 locations across London and other cities in England. Initial responses from politicians and the press sought to explain why the riots were happening and what responses were necessary. This paper shows how the depoliticised actions of rioters were redefined as a politicised problem, symbolic of a sick society that could be cured by Conservative social policy. This…
Discipline and resistance on social media
The myth of the city trickster
This paper examines discourse, mythology and ideology in media coverage of the financial crisis. A critical discourse analysis examines representations of bankers in the Mail Online. I argue that the mythological trickster archetype contributed complications and paradoxical traits in discourses about the banking crisis. Whilst recollecting their heroic status in 2005 compared to the ridicule they have faced more recently, we see a shift in charac…
Pound for pound champions
This paper analyses the myth of the Blitz spirit in British newspaper discourses of the City and economy after the London bombings on 7 July 2005. The Blitz spirit is a popular story of Britain during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Through Barthes’ model of myth, this paper discusses the myth of the Blitz spirit in memories of wartime London. A critical dis…
The myth of the “Blitz spirit” in British newspaper responses to the July 7th bombings
The “Blitz spirit” is a popular story about the British public during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Previous work has revised this wartime story as a propagandistic construction of national identity and popular memory. Therefore, this paper reviews the Blitz spirit as a myth. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) then examines how this myth was retold in Bri…
Financial crisis and austerity
We begin our introduction to this special issue by considering the interdisciplinary collaborations behind this project before reviewing previous research on political rhetoric, financial reporting and media coverage of austerity in transnational contexts. We consider aspects of moral storytelling that have arisen through the contextual complexities of societies in financial crisis and other moral tales of austerity in political rhetoric. Whilst …
Hero Mythology and Right-Wing Populism
This paper is concerned with mythology as a discursive practice of journalistic storytelling. By adopting a discourse-mythological approach, I analyse Mail Online articles about UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader, Nigel Farage. Archetypal traits of mythological Heroism in the Mail Online are constructed through the ideological mechanisms of populist discourse; through Farage's image as a man of the people who distinguishes himself from the polit…
The myth of the city trickster
This paper examines discourse, mythology and ideology in media coverage of the financial crisis. A critical discourse analysis examines representations of bankers in the Mail Online. I argue that the mythological trickster archetype contributed complications and paradoxical traits in discourses about the banking crisis. Whilst recollecting their heroic status in 2005 compared to the ridicule they have faced more recently, we see a shift in charac…
The myth of the “Blitz spirit” in British newspaper responses to the July 7th bombings
The “Blitz spirit” is a popular story about the British public during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Previous work has revised this wartime story as a propagandistic construction of national identity and popular memory. Therefore, this paper reviews the Blitz spirit as a myth. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) then examines how this myth was retold in Bri…
Media and Affective Mythologies
Discipline and resistance on social media
Psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling
The discourse-mythological approach (DMA) analyses psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling. The what and how of narrative warrants the concerns of discourse analysts who scrutinise the language of text and talk to understand the contexts in which narratives are constructed and their relation to social power. Discourse, semiotics and psychoanalytical theory have been synergised through the development of DMA; by mov…
Defining the 'sick society
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, acts of violence and civil disobedience occurred in 66 locations across London and other cities in England. Initial responses from politicians and the press sought to explain why the riots were happening and what responses were necessary. This paper shows how the depoliticised actions of rioters were redefined as a politicised problem, symbolic of a sick society that could be cured by Conservative social policy. This…
Pound for pound champions
This paper analyses the myth of the Blitz spirit in British newspaper discourses of the City and economy after the London bombings on 7 July 2005. The Blitz spirit is a popular story of Britain during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Through Barthes’ model of myth, this paper discusses the myth of the Blitz spirit in memories of wartime London. A critical dis…
Payday loans in the press
This paper analyses media coverage of payday loans in order to understand how a moral case for state intervention and regulation was constructed through forms of mythological storytelling. By analysing the archetypal qualities of media discourse, we can see how particular ideas are legitimised through the ideological mechanisms of moral stories. Stories drew on mythology of the “other world,” the flood, and the tragedy. Archetypal roles were cons…
Pound for pound champions
This paper analyses the myth of the Blitz spirit in British newspaper discourses of the City and economy after the London bombings on 7 July 2005. The Blitz spirit is a popular story of Britain during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Through Barthes’ model of myth, this paper discusses the myth of the Blitz spirit in memories of wartime London. A critical dis…
The myth of the “Blitz spirit” in British newspaper responses to the July 7th bombings
The “Blitz spirit” is a popular story about the British public during the Second World War, uniting together with defiance and resilience to overcome the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany. Previous work has revised this wartime story as a propagandistic construction of national identity and popular memory. Therefore, this paper reviews the Blitz spirit as a myth. A critical discourse analysis (CDA) then examines how this myth was retold in Bri…
Discipline and resistance on social media
The myth of the city trickster
This paper examines discourse, mythology and ideology in media coverage of the financial crisis. A critical discourse analysis examines representations of bankers in the Mail Online. I argue that the mythological trickster archetype contributed complications and paradoxical traits in discourses about the banking crisis. Whilst recollecting their heroic status in 2005 compared to the ridicule they have faced more recently, we see a shift in charac…
Rituals of National Narration
This chapter analyses discourses that evoked hereditary national unity and pride through the cross-generational ‘duties’ that Britain faces as a nation. The sixtieth anniversary commemorations of VE Day enhanced the concept of a recurring cycle in Britain’s national narration, constructing Britain as a country that faces persistent threats and conflicts throughout history, but has an in-built ability to respond. The pride and poignancy of the com…
Media, Myth and Terrorism
Media, Myth and Terrorism is a rigorous case study of Blitz mythology in British newspaper responses to the July 7th bombings. Considering how the press, politicians and the public were caught up in p
Financial crisis and austerity
We begin our introduction to this special issue by considering the interdisciplinary collaborations behind this project before reviewing previous research on political rhetoric, financial reporting and media coverage of austerity in transnational contexts. We consider aspects of moral storytelling that have arisen through the contextual complexities of societies in financial crisis and other moral tales of austerity in political rhetoric. Whilst …
Hero Mythology and Right-Wing Populism
This paper is concerned with mythology as a discursive practice of journalistic storytelling. By adopting a discourse-mythological approach, I analyse Mail Online articles about UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader, Nigel Farage. Archetypal traits of mythological Heroism in the Mail Online are constructed through the ideological mechanisms of populist discourse; through Farage's image as a man of the people who distinguishes himself from the polit…
Defining the 'sick society
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, acts of violence and civil disobedience occurred in 66 locations across London and other cities in England. Initial responses from politicians and the press sought to explain why the riots were happening and what responses were necessary. This paper shows how the depoliticised actions of rioters were redefined as a politicised problem, symbolic of a sick society that could be cured by Conservative social policy. This…
Media and Affective Mythologies
Discourses of Disorder
Analyses media representations of riots, strikes and protests Riots, strikes and protests are heavily mediatised events. Media representations thus play a crucial role in narrating instances of civil disorder for the public where they define the issues at stake, delimit frames of reference and debate, and ultimately legitimise or delegitimise the actors, actions and causes involved. From a critical semiotic perspective, drawing on insights from l…
Affective mythology and 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor
There are many ways in which we can interpret the sporting, commercial and personal success of Conor McGregor whose stories, fights and social appearances are analysed in this paper. There are archetypal traits of the hero and the trickster in McGregor’s journey, persona, legacy, and the semiosis that surrounds him through the myth of the fighting Irish, all of which I consider as affective mythologies in their psycho-discursive forms. Prior to t…
Payday loans in the press
This paper analyses media coverage of payday loans in order to understand how a moral case for state intervention and regulation was constructed through forms of mythological storytelling. By analysing the archetypal qualities of media discourse, we can see how particular ideas are legitimised through the ideological mechanisms of moral stories. Stories drew on mythology of the “other world,” the flood, and the tragedy. Archetypal roles were cons…
News, Discourse, and Ideology
This chapter provides an historical overview of approaches to critical theory that have analyzed the ideological significance of media. It covers a range of analytical approaches to news, discourse, and ideology from critical perspectives beyond linguistics. The chapter demonstrates the growing necessity to understand the ideological and discursive practices of news given the rapid developments of digital and social media contexts. In terms of ne…
Metaphor, morality and legitimacy
This study examines the metaphors used in the British press to characterize the payday loan industry in order to develop our understanding of organizational delegitimation. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and theories of moral panic, we show how the metaphors used in the press framed the industry as a ‘moral problem’. The study identified four root metaphors that were used to undertake moral problematization: predators and parasites, orien…
Analysing news discourse
This chapter offers a qualitative approach to critical media research from a discourse-analytical perspective. In terms of news discourse and journalism, textual features are all seen to occur through decision-making processes in their cultural and professional contexts. The chapter begins with critical linguistics (CL), which accounts for the social production of language in news texts. It reviews how frameworks in CL developed into models of cr…
Celebrity Personas, Self-help Culture, and Collective Psychology
The self-help industry bombards us with books and messages about how to live happier lives, but their advice is not always helpful. Celebrity endorsements of self-help methods and mythologies in popular culture create communicative tensions in our collective psyche, feeding messages of hope and optimism that are often, somewhat ironically, detrimental to our happiness. As a result, we now have a growing body of anti-self-help literature telling u…
Psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling
The discourse-mythological approach (DMA) analyses psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling. The what and how of narrative warrants the concerns of discourse analysts who scrutinise the language of text and talk to understand the contexts in which narratives are constructed and their relation to social power. Discourse, semiotics and psychoanalytical theory have been synergised through the development of DMA; by mov…
Sociology (16 works) · Political science (15 works) · Law (12 works) · Ideology (11 works) · Mythology (11 works) · Media studies (10 works) · Politics (10 works) · Literature (8 works) · Art (7 works) · Law (7 works)