Ideology’s Operation Mode in Domingo and Canal de Moçambique Newspapers during the Political-military Tension

Abstract

The Mozambican political system is characterized by several political parties. However, it is important in this article to analyze the expressiveness of the two major parties, which defend their interests and ideas in a quest to gain a favorable social representation. Doing so, they maintain and sustain a relation of dominance. The media are the key instruments in the dissemination of a party’s propaganda, because it is through them that ideologies are disseminated to the population. The present research aims to analyze the ideology’s operation modes of "Domingo" and "Canal de Moçambique" newspapers in 2013, at the peak of the political-military conflict, which involved Renamo, the opposition party, and the government led by the Frelimo party. The article is based on methodological depth hermeneutics; through a depth hermeneutic tool, the data demonstrate the projection of a meaning which resides in the legitimization of their actions. The discourse is presented in a rational way in order to create certain logic for their arguments. The data, also, illustrated that each party universalizes its interests, that is, the party’s interests are presented as interests of the population. Finally, the use of fragmentation was demonstrated through expurgation, where the other is represented as an enemy to the national interests, so the population is called to support the party to fight against the national enemy.

Keywords

• ideology
• discourse
• frelimo
• renamo