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'National Unity' Through Public Service Announcements (Psas)

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'National Unity' Through Public Service Announcements (Psas) Framing in Strategic Communications: The Construction of ‘National Unity’ through Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in Malaysia Siti Nor Amalina Ahmad Tajuddin Master of Human Sciences (Communication), IIUM, Malaysia Bachelor of Human Sciences (Communication) (Honours), IIUM, Malaysia A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2017 School of Communication and Arts Abstract This thesis investigates the construction of ‘national unity’ within the culturally diverse society of Malaysia. Specifically, it aims not only to understand how ‘national unity’ is constructed by the ruling elites but also how these dominant frames are contested and negotiated by people of different ethnic groups. Indeed, the issue of ‘national unity’ in Malaysia is controversial and complex. The country faces ongoing challenges, many related to the divisive legacies of the British colonial system; its recent history has been marked by struggles around questions of ethnicity, nationalism, elite power, and the status accorded to ethnic Malays – the Bumiputera, or ‘People of the Soil’ – post-independence. On the other hand, the country is well-known for its cultural heterogeneity and is often hailed as a model for multicultural harmony. The government’s communication strategies for promoting ‘national unity’ in the midst of such complexity are the focus of this study. Public service announcements (PSAs), a form of strategic communication used by governments in many countries, are understood to represent the dominant construction of what constitutes ‘national unity’ and how it should be achieved. I argue, however, for the importance of understanding communication as a dynamic, interactive process and thus attending to the audience’s role and perspectives in how ‘national unity’ is understood, particularly given the cultural, social, and political complexity of the communication context. The diverse, multicultural nature of Malaysia suggests the need to examine other perspectives beyond the State’s point of view to understand the multiplicity of perspectives of the Malaysian public. The main contribution of this thesis is to provide a nuanced framing approach to the analysis of PSAs and participants’ viewpoints, and thus, extend the previous work on the construction of ‘national unity’ in Malaysia that primarily focused on the elite discourse, rather than the views of grassroots ethnic groups. Drawing on framing as the theoretical and methodological framework for this research, the objectives of this study are firstly, to examine how ‘national unity’ is constructed through these PSAs, and secondly, to explore the intended audiences’ perceptions of those PSAs and the frames underpinning these perceptions. To achieve these outcomes, the research develops a framing analysis of a 102-item sample of PSAs in the form of print, broadcast, and online media promoting ‘national unity’ and social cohesion, published by the Malaysian government between 2009 and 2014. The results of a series of six focus groups representing the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia – Malays, Chinese, and Indian – are also analysed, using a framing approach. The findings suggest that multiple, often conflicting frames are involved in making sense of ‘national unity’; contested narratives of nationhood and ethnic identity are identified as central themes in the analysis. In specific, the Government’s construction of ‘national unity’ discovered two dominate: nationalism frame and multiculturalism frames, while audience’s construction of ‘national contested i these frames at times and added a different, oppositional frame: political frame. These findings reinforce the importance of understanding processes of strategic communication in complex, multicultural contexts, involving multiple actors with competing ways of framing the issue. Indeed, the possibility of genuine social cohesion relies on understanding and addressing this very complexity. ii Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. iii Publications during candidature Peer-reviewed conference papers Ahmad Tajuddin, S.N.A., Zhu, Y., & Collie, N. (2016). Exploring the construction of ‘national unity’ in Malaysia: Framing analysis of texts and audiences. Paper to be presented at the International Conference on Communication and Media (i-COME’16) ICA Regional Conference at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 18 – 20 September 2016. Ahmad Tajuddin, S.N.A., Collie, N., & Zhu, Y. (2016). Constructing ‘national unity’: A framing analysis of Malaysian government advertising. Paper presented at the 66th International Communication Association (ICA), Fukuoka, Japan, 9 – 13 June 2016. Ahmad Tajuddin, S.N.A., Collie, N., & Zhu, Y. (2016). Constructing ‘national unity’: Framing analysis of visual media text and media audience. Poster presentation exhibited at the ICA Young Scholars Preconference “Communicating the Power of Visuals” at Kyushu Sangyo University, Fukuoka, Japan, 9 June 2016. Publications included in this thesis Ahmad Tajuddin, S. N. A., Collie, N., & Zhu, Y. (2017). Exploring the Construction of ‘National Unity’ in Malaysia : Framing Analysis of Texts and Audiences. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 11, pp. 1–7) (In conference proceedings) – Incorporated in Chapter 1, 6 & 7. Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None iv Acknowledgements Bismillahir Rahmaanir Rahim (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful). First and foremost, I would like to praise the Almighty God, the Lord of the entire universe with the infinite praise Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah alone) at every ease and hardship of making this Ph.D. journey reaches its end. I have put a complete trust in Allah for everything that has happened throughout this journey (hardships and difficulties) is nothing without the Will of Allah. I believe that these worldly tests during the search of knowledge are to keep my faith stronger in Him and earn more of His rewards and blessings. At the outset, I thank the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, University of Education, Sultan Idris, The University of Queensland, and The School of Communication and Arts, UQ for granting me study leave and scholarships, during my entire study. The completion has been made possible with the financial support from the above-mentioned institutions and the help from a number of individuals. I firstly wish to record my deep and sincere gratitude to my right and left wings – both Principal Supervisor (Dr. Natalie Collie) and Co-Principal Supervisor (Associate Professor Yunxia Zhu) – for their invaluable guidance and support during the course of the supervision of this Ph.D. thesis. It has been an honour to be accepted as their student and to work with them. I can relate the way they advised and taught me to what the ancient Chinese proverb once says: “Give me a fish, and I will eat for a day; teach me how to fish, and I will eat for a lifetime.” Thank you for teaching me how to fish and struggle to the fullest and be the best at whatever I do. Your encouragement, challenges, and criticism have always been my source of hopes, inspiration, and thus make me from day to day become a strong, confident, and determined person not only to the completion of my thesis, but also how to present myself and my academic work very professionally. Special thanks also go to my previous Principal Supervisor, Associate Professor Rhonda Breit (who has left the university) for providing me with support and the ‘route map’ so I could navigate what was then a very new world of academia. I am also indebted to Associate Professor Bernard McKenna for his positive and critical comments on my work during the earlier stage of my candidature. I am thankful to Government officers, Penghulu, Ketua Kampung, and all my interview participants, for giving great support and commitment during my fieldwork time. I must acknowledge the fellow UQ staffs and lecturers
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