Linguistic Strategies in Public Media Discourse: A Case Study of Esports Competitions in the 19th Asian Games
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Esports, or electronic sports, is a form of individual or team sports. It is a type of sporting activity where games are used as the medium for competition. The gameplay typically resembles that of regular video games, including online strategy or fighting games, and is conducted via platforms such as consoles, PCs, or mobile devices. This research aimed to analyze the linguistic strategies used by fan page members on a Facebook fan page that featured esports during the 19th Asian Games.
Methods: This study analyzed the fan page members’ comments relating to the performances of esports athletes within public media discourse, specifically from various Facebook fan pages including TESF, Vampire Esports, Talon PH, Bacon Time, and FaZe Clan. A total of 150 utterances were collected and subjected to content analysis. The data were categorized based on linguistic strategies and subsequently interpreted to explain the emerging phenomena. The analysis was grounded in relevant theoretical frameworks, particularly discourse analysis with a focus on linguistic strategies. The findings were presented in essay form.
Results: The study identified six linguistic strategies in public media discourse presenting information about the esports competitions of the Thai national esports team during the 19th Asian Games. These included 1) lexical choices, 2) negative presupposition, 3) metaphor, 4) causal and conditional sentence structures, 5) questions, and 6) modality. Additionally, these linguistic strategies reflect the beliefs and ideologies in the context of Thai society in 3 issues: the notion that esports is merely gameplay rather than a legitimate sport; Thai national esports athletes still need to improve their skills; and esports has not yet received comprehensive support from governmental authorities.
Application of this study: This study focuses on an investigation of modern media and the results can serve as a framework for studying linguistic strategies in other forms of public media discourse across different contexts.
Conclusions: Based on a study of linguistic strategies in public media discourse, focusing on Esports competitions in the 19th Asian Games, six key strategies were identified. —such as word choice, metaphor use, and modality—that reflect three prevailing perceptions in Thai society: e-sports is not yet considered a sport, Thai athletes require further development, and government support remains insufficient. This study not only conveys information about the competitions, but also reveals the discourse and attitudes embedded in modern media, which can be applied to the analysis of other types of discourse in different contexts. The findings indicate that public media discourse surrounding esports is not merely about reporting events; rather, it reflects underlying thoughts and beliefs about esports within the context of Thai society.
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References
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