Rachel, Mo, Buke

Based on your reading of Leon Barkho, and Atiqa Hachimi articles, how do you think ideological discourses become normative? As professional communicators, how can you analyze such discourses critically in a way to offer a better representation or perspective to the local context or realities in a way to make your message more inclusive and respectful?

One group member gave an example of Trump. For example, when looking at Trump a lot of reporters paint him in a positive or neutral way rather than focusing on his negative qualities. Depending on how the reporter frames the president (as a result of neutralizing his behavior or making him appear more agreeable), his actions are downplayed and normalized. This normalization of his behavior allows ideologies surrounding/related to the president to become normative. Hegemony also plays a role in ideologies becoming normative because what the majority believes in the rest follows.

Having an first person experience and being unbiased may also help to offer a better representation or perspective to the local contexts or realities in a way to make messages more inclusive and respectful. Having first person experience as a result of actually going to the source will allow for the communicator to acquire more knowledge about the subject allowing for a better description of the subject. Additionally, providing two opposing viewpoints may also help.

Freedom of speech also plays a role in wether or not an ideology can become normative.