Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2022 Open Access

Hyperrationality and Rhetorical Constellations in Digital Climate Change Denial: A Multi-Methodological Analysis of the Discourse of Watts up with That

Denise Tillery University of Nevada, Reno ; Emma Frances Bloomfield University of Nevada, Reno

Abstract

Using a multi-methodological approach, we analyze member comments in Watts Up With That (WUWT), a climate skeptical Facebook group. Quantitative topic modeling revealed that members claim hyperrationality to undermine climate science. Science-based terms were often connected to other topics, such as immigration and LGBTQ+ rights, creating rhetorical constellations that shifted rhetoric from technical spaces into political and ideological ones. These findings have implications for dealing with the challenge of misinformation’s circulation on social media.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2022-10-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2021.2019317
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Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis social media gender and writing
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