Conflictogenicity of Intercultural Interaction on Telegram Channels: Discourse Analysis of Visual Frames

Visual frames are examined as indicators of the conflict potential in intercultural interaction, shaping the interpretation and perspective of labor migration within the Telegram social network. The study’s relevance and novelty lie in its focus on visual resources involved in the process of conflict-laden meaning-making and in expanding the explanatory potential of the frame concept for studying issues of social quality in Telegram communication. The aim of the study is to analyze linguo-semiotic aspects of visual framing in the context of labor migration debates on Russian Telegram channels, and to identify models of visual representation of the «residents vs ethnophores» relationship. The methodology is based on discourse analysis, social semiotics and framing theory. The sample included 1058 photographic images retrieved from two public Telegram channels in «Politics» and «News & Media» categories between January and July 2024. A method of linguo-semiotic analysis of visual frames is proposed, which highlights two parameters — «focus of attention» and «mechanics of visual framing». The analysis reveals patterns of visual framing, indicating conflicts. The findings suggest the following: a) visual frames are activated syncretically by the visual and the linguistic modes of representation; b) conflict-provoking content manifests at the level of single-subject, two-subject and multi-subject images; c) image objects form a group of resources that convey the idea of contradictions on the basis of visual metonymy; d) conflict-provoking content is embedded in the iconographic code of the image; e) visual framing models vary, depending on the interaction of neutral or conflictogenic visual and linguistic modes. The results of the research present interest for further study of the visual framing of social conflicts in digital communication.