Polemics and paradoxes in the media: the case of the Dutch TV-show Pauw

In Apologie de la polémique, Ruth Amossy (2014) studies the place of polemical discourse in public space. This “argumentative modality” guarantees the possibility of non-violent coexistence of groups in political situations, in other words, situations of dissensus. In our pluralistic democratic society, where agreement often is not possible, polemics have a distinct social function, she claims, as they verbally manage conflicts that take place in the modus of dissent. They insure a way of coexistence in a complex society, and enable participants to share the same space and to communicate without reverting to physical violence. (Ibid., pp. 12-13)As a genre, polemics exist within a rich tradition throughout Western history: from Martin Luther to Karl Marx, from Robespierre to Noam Chomsky, from Desiderius Erasmus to Michael Moore. A polemic is a widely accepted and appreciated genre, and it certainly deserves a place in the study of rhetoric and argumentation. Scholars such as Arthur Schopenhauer or Marc Angenot (1982) undertook elaborate efforts to classify every possible trick and move in polemical discourse. While in a democratic environment polemics exist in every domain of public life, their socio-political function is not all that widely acknowledged. In a context of increasing globalization, where people with the most diverse opinions and ways of life live together, it is important to expand our knowledge about conflict and polemics.This chapter focuses on the phenomenon of polemics in the media. More particularly, I explore the complex role of journalists, who act alternately as reporters, moderators and even participants in polemical situations. As such, they often struggle with various expectations from the public: do they simply convey knowledge and information, do they moderate the discussion, or do they actively participate in the public debate? First I introduce some aspects of Amossy’s work on polemics, and secondly I focus on a media case with an explicit polemical character. This analysis should deepen our insight in the function and possibilities of polemics in the media.

ISBN:978-3-631-66633-3

Publication year:2016