Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar

This study focused on the relationship between the field of crisis communication and discourse analysis. The crisis of MH370 was used as a medium to explore the blame avoidance strategies opted by four public figures in addressing the public. The public figures who were used in this research were Pr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thilaga , Ravinthar
Format: Thesis
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/
http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/2/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf
http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/1/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf
_version_ 1848774727009566720
author Thilaga , Ravinthar
author_facet Thilaga , Ravinthar
author_sort Thilaga , Ravinthar
building UM Research Repository
collection Online Access
description This study focused on the relationship between the field of crisis communication and discourse analysis. The crisis of MH370 was used as a medium to explore the blame avoidance strategies opted by four public figures in addressing the public. The public figures who were used in this research were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein, Director of Civil Aviation Dato’ Sri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman and MAS CEO Mr Ahmad Jauhari. The main focus of the study was to explore the press release and to illustrate the blame avoidance strategies opted during the crisis. It is a qualitative study which aimed to explore the linguistic strategies used in a crisis using the textual analysis method. Based on the analysis, the most commonly used blame avoidance strategies were arguing and manipulation while the frequently used Image Restoration Strategies were defeasibility and good intentions. Based on the analysis, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin employed the highest number of arguing strategy which were 8 types and he specifically used Topos of Law 9 times. He also used manipulation strategy the most which were 5 types and he employed inducing less powerful groups into accepting arguments 6 times in his statements. The defeasibility strategy was used to explain the incident as an accident while good intentions focused on the explanation for the Search and Rescue Operation(SOP) expansion. The data analysed during the incident served as concrete examples to study the techniques opted by the leaders for self-other presentation during an event of crisis.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T14:02:53Z
format Thesis
id um-12764
institution University Malaya
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T14:02:53Z
publishDate 2020
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling um-127642022-01-30T19:34:20Z Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar Thilaga , Ravinthar P Philology. Linguistics This study focused on the relationship between the field of crisis communication and discourse analysis. The crisis of MH370 was used as a medium to explore the blame avoidance strategies opted by four public figures in addressing the public. The public figures who were used in this research were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein, Director of Civil Aviation Dato’ Sri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman and MAS CEO Mr Ahmad Jauhari. The main focus of the study was to explore the press release and to illustrate the blame avoidance strategies opted during the crisis. It is a qualitative study which aimed to explore the linguistic strategies used in a crisis using the textual analysis method. Based on the analysis, the most commonly used blame avoidance strategies were arguing and manipulation while the frequently used Image Restoration Strategies were defeasibility and good intentions. Based on the analysis, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin employed the highest number of arguing strategy which were 8 types and he specifically used Topos of Law 9 times. He also used manipulation strategy the most which were 5 types and he employed inducing less powerful groups into accepting arguments 6 times in his statements. The defeasibility strategy was used to explain the incident as an accident while good intentions focused on the explanation for the Search and Rescue Operation(SOP) expansion. The data analysed during the incident served as concrete examples to study the techniques opted by the leaders for self-other presentation during an event of crisis. 2020-08 Thesis NonPeerReviewed application/pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/2/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf application/pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/1/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf Thilaga , Ravinthar (2020) Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaya. http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/
spellingShingle P Philology. Linguistics
Thilaga , Ravinthar
Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title_full Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title_fullStr Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title_full_unstemmed Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title_short Blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the MH370 press conferences / Thilaga Ravinthar
title_sort blame avoidance and image restoration strategies in the mh370 press conferences / thilaga ravinthar
topic P Philology. Linguistics
url http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/
http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/2/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf
http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/12764/1/Thilaga_Ravinthar.pdf