Issue ? 46. Oсtober 2014

Narrative Manipulation

Maria V. Lukanina — Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Public Administration, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: lukanina@spa.msu.ru

Ludmila K. Salieva — Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Public Administration, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: salieva@spa.msu.ru

In recent years narrative studies have attracted attention of scholars in various disciplines. Yet so far no attention has been paid to the use of narrative texts in public relations. The article is to considers a narrative as one of the most effective image-making and manipulative techniques. The authors show that narrative speech is a form of eristic argumentation since it is based on facts selection, which allows to create a desired image of an object and trigger a corresponding emotional response, leading the audience to the desired conclusion and programmed decision. Manipulative potential of narrative forms of speech is widely used in media and public relations. The authors also conclude that in order to build society of competent people with critical thinking, secondary and high school programmes must contain courses on poetics and analytical reading.

Keywords

Narrative, storytelling, myth, manipulation, mass media, public relations.