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RETORIKGRUPPENThey Don’t AskA Topoi Catalogue of Journalistic Questions That

Disrupt Democratic Debate

Jonas Gabrielsen, Christina Pontoppidan & Heidi Jønch-Clausen

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EN Situating our research question

Dominant focus: In evaluating the (missing) deliberative quality of modern political discourse, we need to understand and catalogue evasive answers

• Professor Kocks book: They don’t answer

• Our research on the PM’s weekly press conferences

• The popular journal Ræson

• Television programs, such as Detector

• Etc.

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EN Situating our research question

Dominant focus: In evaluating the (missing) deliberative quality of modern political discourse, we need to understand and catalogue evasive answers

• Professor Kocks book: They don’t answer

• Our research on the PM’s weekly press conferences

• The popular journal Ræson

• Television programs, such as detector

• Etc.

The problem are rooted in the ‘logic’ of political representatives

The non-informative debate is rooted in the ‘logic’ of political representatives

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EN Situating our research question

Our focus: In evaluating the (missing) deliberative quality of modern political discourse, we need also to understand and catalogue disruptive questions

• What is a bad question?

• What is a bad question from a deliberative perspective?

• Are the criteria for judging questions the same for journalism and rhetoric?

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EN Situating our research question

Our focus: In evaluating the (missing) deliberative quality of modern political discourse, we need also to understand and catalogue disruptive questions

• What is a bad question?

• What is the bad question in informative debate?

• Are the criteria for evaluating questions the same for journalism and rhetoric?

Maybe the non-informative debate is also rooted in the ‘logic’ of critical journalism?

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EN The empirical material

The Danish prime minister meets the press on Tuesdays= an opportunity for information, democratic dialogue and civic engagement

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EN They don’t ask – a topoi

catalogueSimple disruptions

Complex disruptions

Formal disruptions

Informal disruptions

Deliberative disruptions

• Two in one• Question comments • Questions followed by a

comment• Long questions• Redundant questions• Questions with

provocative words• Hostile questions• Speculative questions

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EN Examples

Q: Helle Thorning-Schmidt – you said you would commence this afternoon. When will you be finished, when will we know if this proposal will amount to anything, I mean, what is your deadline for the negotiations?

Q: Yesterday Danske Bank presented ... in which they predicted a long lasting low level of growth in Danish economy. And you yourself mention the fact that it does look a bit dark in 12. If we should find ourselves in the situation where it goes on into 13, if then further economic stimulus of the economy ... will that come to be out of the question, or could it come up, also considering the fact that you do have a recommendation from the EU, that you have to fullfil in 13, and that you probably will prioritize credibility concerning the straight-course-politics and the low interests very high. How are the possibilities of stimulating further?

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EN They don’t ask – a topoi

catalogueSimple disruptions

Complex disruptions

Formal disruptions

Informal disruptions

Deliberative disruptions

Inconsistency focused questions• Inconsistensy between

group members• Inconsistensy between

documents• Inconsistensy over time

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EN Examples

Inconsistensy between documentsQ: Jakob Sorgenfri from Politiken. You mention that ... as a feat within the first 100 days ... that you have removed the customs controls. But that, which you have not removed, is the hassle with visas that has actually been going on for more than a 100 days by now. Trade, tourism and development projects and quite a lot of Danish families have been affected by the fact, that for months it has been impossible to apply for visa to Denmark from approximately 30 countries. How does that correspond with the government declaration for one thing - and for the other, what kind of signals is it sending from the country holding the EU's chairmanship to the rest of the Schengen cooperation, which is already under pressure?

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EN Examples

Inconsistensy between group membersQ: So I thought I heard you say when you started, that if one is educationally ready as being threatened by dropping out, then you are entitled to welfare support as long as up to 6 months. That's where I feel rather convinced that I heard Enhedslisten say yesterday that is was 6 months and not up to 6 months, but 6 months. So there ...

Inconsistensy over timeQ: Back to the tax reform. Before the election you said yes to a tax on millionaires, no to a reduction in the top level taxes. Now you say no to tax on millionaires and yes to reduction in the top level taxes. Is that a U-turn. And if it's a U-turn, why are you making it?

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EN What’s the aim of the

question? Two opposing logics

Conflict

Information

Conflict

Substance

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Passive Active

Deliberative

Representative

Kilde: Bro, 2008

Aims of journalistic questions

What is the societal problem?

What can be done to resolve the

societal problem?

What is the institutional roots of

the problem?

Who is responsible for the problem?

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EN Credibility analysis 2012