The Signs of a Strongman: A Semiotic and Discourse Analysis of Abdelfattah Al-Sisi’s Egyptian Presidential Campaign

Authors

  • Mohammed el-Nawawy Queens University of Charlotte
  • Mohamad Hamas Elmasry University of North Alabama

Keywords:

semiotics, Egypt, Al-Sisi, discourse analysis, presidential campaign.

Abstract

This study employs semiotic analysis to examine the sign system in two of Abdelfattah Al-Sisi’s 2014 Egyptian presidential campaign posters, and discourse analysis to uncover dominant discourses in Al-Sisi’s most prominent campaign video. The semiotic analysis finds that the campaign presented Al-Sisi as a familiar, yet transcendent, figure, and the discourse analysis suggests that the video producers discursively constructed Al-Sisi as the ultimate patriot and a strongman with immense leadership abilities. 

Author Biographies

Mohammed el-Nawawy, Queens University of Charlotte

Mohammed el-Nawawy is Charles A. Dana Professor of International Communication and Middle Eastern Studies in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at Queens University of Charlotte. He is the senior editor for the Journal of Middle East Media and is president of the Arab-U.S. Association for Communication Educators. He is the author and co-author of six books that deal with new media in the Middle East, particularly satellite channels and the Internet, and their impact on the Arab public sphere. He is also interested in issues of public diplomacy and ways of initiating effective dialogue between the Middle East and the West.

Mohamad Hamas Elmasry, University of North Alabama

Mohamad Hamas Elmasry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications at the University of North Alabama. Dr Elmasry held an assistant professorship at Qatar University from 2009 to 2011, and at the American University in Cairo from 2011 to 2014. His research on Arab press systems and the sociology of news has appeared in reputable refereed publications, including the International Communication Gazette, the International Journal of Communication, the Journal of Middle East Media, the Journal of Arab and Muslim Media Research and the Global Media Journal. Dr Elmasry is also a political and media analyst and has appeared regularly on international television news networks, including CNN, The BBC, Al-Jazeera English and Al-Jazeera America.

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Published

2016-04-28

Issue

Vol. 10 (2016)

Section

Articles

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