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Conceptualizing the Bolivarian Revolution: a Critical Discourse Analysis of Chávez's Rhetorical Framing in Aló Presidente A

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Conceptualizing the Bolivarian Revolution: a Critical Discourse Analysis of Chávez's Rhetorical Framing in Aló Presidente A Conceptualizing the Bolivarian Revolution: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Chávez’s Rhetorical Framing in Aló Presidente A thesis presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Ayleen A. Cabas-Mijares August 2016 © 2016 Ayleen A. Cabas-Mijares. All Rights Reserved. This thesis titled Conceptualizing the Bolivarian Revolution: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Chávez’s Rhetorical Framing in Aló Presidente by AYLEEN A. CABAS-MIJARES has been approved for the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Scripps College of Communication by Yusuf Kalyango Jr. Associate Professor of Journalism Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT CABAS-MIJARES, AYLEEN A., M.S., August 2016, Journalism Conceptualizing the Bolivarian Revolution: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Chávez’s Rhetorical Framing in Aló Presidente Director of Thesis: Yusuf Kalyango Jr. This critical discourse analysis of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s time in office explores the rhetorical frames he employed to characterize the Bolivarian Revolution in his weekly television and radio show, Aló Presidente. After iterative readings of the transcripts of 40 Aló Presidente episodes that spanned almost the entire Chávez presidency, the study shows that the president employed historical, socioeconomic and religious rhetorical frames to define and promote the Bolivarian Revolution as a desirable governance manifesto. Chávez’s rhetorical framing presented the revolution as the only bastion of patriotism, ethical and Christian values in Venezuela, which resulted in the vilification of dissent and the legitimation of political discrimination. In summary, the findings indicate that President Chávez’s discursive practices and overall media strategy and dominance of the media landscape set the stage for the violation of Venezuelans’ right to access diverse information as well as their freedom of expression. iii DEDICATION A mi mamá, por mostrarme cómo se siente el amor verdadero A mi papá, quien me enseñó a sonreírle (genuinamente) a la adversidad A mi hermana, por cargar mi corazón y mostrarme el gran secreto que nadie conoce A mi hermano, quien me hace creer en la generosidad del ser humano A Sebastián, por darme nuevos propósitos A Venezuela, a nuestro futuro A ti iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I guess this is how an Oscar speech feels. After you struggled for so long, you finally find yourself in a fancy room where some of the most important people in your life and career have gathered to recognize your efforts and give you that big award. Although in my case the “fancy room” is my messy Athens bedroom and I am all alone, I feel the company and the cheers of my family, friends and mentors. I also visualize the award, my master’s degree, coming. Many people put me in this position. Many people gave me hope when I lost it and made me believe in myself. I put my life in the hands of some of these individuals and fortunately they were generous enough to save me. The list is long and my gratitude, infinite. I hope I do justice to my beloved friends here. First, I want to thank the “Academy,” the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, for giving me access to opportunities that I would have never even dreamt of in my torn Venezuela. This school found value in my foreign point of view and helped me capitalize on it. The faculty helped me train my brain and my soul to foster bigger ideas and ideals. Professors such as Hans Meyer, Hugh Martin, Aimee Edmondson, Anne Cooper-Chen, Jatin Srivastava, Bernhard Debatin and Elizabeth Hendrickson are worth their weight in gold— Dr. Cooper-Chen, Edmondson and Hendrickson are in a disadvantage here because they are tiny, but you all know what I mean. I want to thank all of you for your time, advice and smiles. How important your kindness was in the darkest moments! I take your passion for teaching with me. I will admire all of you forever. v Dr. Yusuf Kalyango Jr., my advisor, also deserves an acknowledgement, obviously. He was the one who had to keep up with my academic panic attacks and constantly convince me that my brain was more than fit to finish this program. He was tough when I needed him to and understanding when it was necessary. His unwavering trust in my abilities boosted my self-confidence. I hope I can always make you proud, Dr. K. Now, Dr. Mike Sweeney… This one is something else. He was never formally my professor, but he has taught me the most important things in life. This man, despite all the work he has to do, has taken time to teach me about true bravery, kindness and passion. He pulled me out of dark places with talks and coffee and showed me his beautiful perspective on life. There is nothing I can say or do to pay him back. He has just made me a better person. I will always remember you, Dr. Sweeney. If I ever do any good for anyone, know that I was inspired by you. My family in Athens also deserves a shout out. Enakshi Roy always provided me with encouragement and wisdom for both my personal and academic life. I cannot thank you enough, Dr. Roy; you are a role model to me. Malika Shakira Bryant, always so regal, let me see how beautiful her soul is; and that is an honor! She was the shoulder I cried on many times and her wit made me laugh uncontrollably more than once. Thank you for being the most amazing roomie. Jeremy Ludemann, you know how much I love you. I believe you are one of the best friends I will ever have. Kate Hiller, that firecracker! How inspiring your journey and your hard work are! You are one of my favorite persons in this world. Kingsley Antwi-Boasiako, thank you for always putting vi smiles on my face and reminding me “to keep the eyes on the prize.” Goitom Negash, I am beyond grateful for you being my brother. Isaac Nolan is a gift from the cooking gods and I will always thank him for his humor and delicious dishes. Carol Hector-Harris, thank you for your never-ending enthusiasm. You are a gorgeous human being. Madina … the one I will always miss. Her ability to find happiness in the smallest things is the biggest inspiration. Thank you for your love and friendship! Finally, I have to thank my family for the sacrifices they are making for me to follow my dreams. All the shared moments, hugs, kisses and laughter we are missing hurt us to the core, but we have grown strong to make our love survive this distance. Mom and dad, you are everything to me. I know what love and honesty are because of you. Ashly, simply put, you are the person I love the most in this world. I am never without your heart. Celso, my dearest brother, you are one of the gifts I thank Ashly for. Ours is the purest friendship I have ever experienced and that is mostly because of your kind nature. Thank you, Sebastian, my baby nephew. To me, you embody all the love and sweetness of the world. Therefore, I genuinely believe life is beautiful. As I said before, my gratitude for the people in these acknowledgements is infinite. I will always try to honor the teachings, friendship and love I have been given. I am so happy to have shared such a defining part of my life with all of you. How lucky I was to end up at Ohio University! How lucky I am for having all of you! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Methodological Approach and Research Design ............................................................ 5 Literature about Chávez’s Discourse, the Bolivarian Revolution and Aló Presidente ... 6 Chapter 2: Aló Presidente in Venezuela’s Broadcast Media & Political Landscape ......... 9 History of Venezuela’s Broadcast Media ....................................................................... 9 Broadcast Media and the Political Climate ............................................................... 12 President Chávez and Broadcast Media ........................................................................ 18 Building the Revolution’s Communication Hegemony ............................................ 21 Aló Presidente, the Cornerstone of Chávez’s Political Communications ................. 29 Decision-making in Aló Presidente .......................................................................... 39 The Genre of Aló Presidente ..................................................................................... 41 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework ................................................................................... 47 Framing Theory ............................................................................................................ 47 Rhetorical Framing of the Bolivarian Revolution ........................................................ 54 Historical Rhetorical Frame ...................................................................................... 55 Socioeconomic Rhetorical Frame ............................................................................
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