Critical Discourse Analysis on Venezuela's Indigenous Media: The Influence of the "New Media Nation" in Countering Negative Representation

Authors

  • Rebecca Angeline Davinia Universitas Indonesia
  • Bayu Kristianto Universitas Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58344/jii.v4i6.6644

Keywords:

indigenous peoples of Venezuela, media representation, critical discourse analysis, theory of representation, cultural identity, hegemony

Abstract

This article examines the visual and discursive communication strategies employed by Indigenous peoples in Venezuela to counter negative representations constructed by non-Indigenous, particularly Western, media. Utilizing a qualitative approach through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and visual semiotic analysis, this study focuses on two primary data sources: social media posts by President Nicolás Maduro and the Indigenous organization CONIVE (Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela). The research aims to explore how Indigenous communities construct counter-representations in response to colonial stereotypes such as exoticism, primitivism, passivity, and marginalization, which are frequently perpetuated by global media narratives. Framed by Hall’s theory of representation, Geertz’s concept of cultural identity, and Gramsci’s hegemony, findings show that Indigenous groups resist colonial stereotypes through media activism, cultural expression, and political advocacy. These efforts redefine Indigenous visibility and assert agency within global discourse. The study highlights the strategic role of community media in reclaiming narrative power and calls for stronger support for Indigenous communication rights.

References

Alia, V. (2010). The new media nation: Indigenous peoples and global communication (Vol. 2). Berghahn Books.

Borofsky, R. (2005). Yanomami: The Fierce Controversy and What We Can Learn from It. University of California Press.

Conive. (2024). About Conive (terj.). https://www-conive-org.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=id&_x_tr_hl=id&_x_tr_pto=sc

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4 ed.). SAGE Publications.

Darmastuti, R. (2013). Identitas Budaya. https://repository.uksw.edu/bitstream/123456789/17164/6/BOOK_R_Darmastuti_Mindfullness_Bab_5.pdf

Dyer, T. (2017). Indigenous Peoples and the Media. Bethel University Press.

Geertz, C. (1973). Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture. https://philpapers.org/archive/GEETTD.pdf

Graham, L. R. (2003). How should an Indian speak? Amazonian Indians and the symbolic politics of language in the global public sphere. In Indigenous movements, self-representation, and the state in Latin America (hal. 181–228). University of Texas Press.

Hale, C. R. (1997). Cultural Politics of Identity in Latin America. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, 567–590. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2952535

Hirschfelder, A., & Molin, P. F. (2018). I is for Ignoble: Stereotyping Native Americans. Ferris State University.

IWGIA. (2024). Indigenous People in Venezuela. https://www.iwgia.org/en/venezuela.html

King, T. (2012). The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America.

Lehman, K. (2012). People’s Media Venezuela.

Lupien, et al. (2024). Resistencia: Indigenous Movements, Social Media, and Mobilization in Latin America. Latin American Research Review.

Martinez, D. (2016). Indigenous Struggles at the United Nations: A Global Perspective. Indigenous Studies Journal, 43(1), 89–94.

MediaSmarts. (2018). Indigenous people in the news. Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy.

Mongabay. (2019). Venezuelan crisis: Government censors environmental and scientific data. https://news.mongabay.com/2019/10/venezuelan-crisis-government-censors-environmental-and-scientific-data/

Mosonyi, E. E., & Luque, M. S. (2023). Indigenous Language Media, Resistance, and Resilience. In Indigenous Language for Social Change Communication in the Global South (hal. 127).

Munfarida, E. (2024). Analis Wacana Kritis dalam Perspektif Norman Fairclough. ICRS Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Murillo, M. (2018). National Culture, Indigenous Voice: Creating a Counternarrative on Colombian Radio. In From Filmmaker Warriors to Flash Drive Shamans. Indigenous Media Production Engagement in Latin America. Vanderbilt University Press.

Nagle, R. (2018). Research reveals media role in stereotypes about Native Americans. Women’s Media Center.

Nurcahyono, O. H. (2021). Antropologi?:Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.

Salas, M. H. J. (2005). Ethnicity and Revolution: The Political Economy of Racism in Venezuela. Sage Publications, 32(2). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0094582x04273869

Tomaselli, K. G. (2020). Media, Identity and the Public Sphere in Post-Apartheid South Africa and Beyond. Critical Arts, 34(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2020.1758587

Downloads

Published

2025-06-14