Woke-diskursus Eesti ajakirjanduses

Abstract

The concept of woke, originating from awareness of systemic racism and the pursuit of social justice, has been stigmatised and weaponised by conservative populists. This thesis examines how the term is depicted in the Estonian press amid pejorative woke-discourse internationally. Through an analysis of news articles from key Estonian media outlets, categories of woke-discourse are identified using Critical Discourse Analysis frameworks.

The predominant discourse categories found in the analysed articles include The Woke Agenda, constructing woke as an ideological societal threat linked to Marxism and discrimination of the white (heterosexual) man, The Authoritarian Woke, portraying woke as violent, totalitarian censorship and 'cancel culture', and The Religious Woke, framing woke through a fundamentalist lens. Additional discourse categories include The Weak Woke, characterising social justice activists as naive, short-sighted and unrealistic, The Aware Woke, acknowledging systemic inequality, and The Anti-woke Agenda, acknowledging the term's weaponised nature.

This analysis reveals strong in-group versus out-group dynamics, with the figurative Us often depicted as non-ideological entities opposing the figurative Them i.e. doctrinal leftism, liberalism and the West. The majority of the Estonian woke-discourse has been appropriated from abroad, highlighting the need for media literacy and best practices in journalism.