Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of political cartoons

Abstract

This article investigates political cartoons related to sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The selected corpus, drawn from specialized digital repositories, illustrates thematic representations of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of these sanctions. Through analytical tools grounded in the triadic model of sender, code, and receiver, the study uncovers latent meanings conveyed through the interplay of visual and verbal modes. Cartoons portray political figures, symbols, and events, often employing prototypes and tools to highlight specific actions and their perceived outcomes. Their multimodal nature—combining satire, metaphor, and criticism—makes them especially potent for discourse analysis, shaped by historical and sociocultural factors. The analysis identifies several communication strategies that implicitly influence public opinion. Cartoons supporting sanctions often depict the aggressor nation and its president through denigration, emotional appeals, and fear-based imagery, fostering solidarity with Ukraine and promoting negative assessments of Russian leadership. Conversely, cartoons emphasising the ineffectiveness of sanctions draw attention to Russia’s circumvention tactics, profits from energy exports, and the economic risks to sanctioning nations. These representations may push international leaders toward seeking a ceasefire or, alternatively, undermine support for sanctions and democratic values. Ultimately, political cartoons emerge as semantically rich, visually concise instruments requiring significant background knowledge for proper interpretation. They function not only as tools of critique but also as persuasive media, influencing public discourse on the legitimacy and consequences of geopolitical actions.

Disclosure Statement

The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.