A multimodal discourse analysis of Philippine Resbakuna infographics

Abstract

This study is a multimodal discourse analysis of COVID-19 vaccination infographics in the Philippines, commonly known as Resbakuna infographics released by the Department of Health. These infographics were released as part of the vaccination drive to encourage people to get COVID-19 vaccines. This study aimed to: identify the visual and linguistic elements found in the infographics; interpret the meaning being conveyed in the elements; and describe how these elements interplay to make a unified meaning. It utilized a descriptive-qualitative design anchored upon Cheong’s (2004) Generic Structure Potential (GSP), Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) Visual Grammar Design, and Royce’s (1998) Intersemiotic Complementarity. Findings reveal that the infographics used visual elements such as lead, emblem, and display to grab the viewer’s attention as well as help the viewers decide to get vaccinated. Also, the study reveals several linguistic elements used in the infographics to entice the viewers to read more about the infographics, as well as give information regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Lastly, the elements used complemented each other through the use of sense relations such as synonymy, repetition, and meronymy to convey the message. It is concluded that these elements were employed to convey the message that would build connection and trust with the viewers.