Social Semiotic Markers in Selected Political Reels on Instagram

• AKINWANDE, Bankole Idowu, Ph.D

  Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo

  Author

• AKINWANDE, Kehinde Ifedayo

  Author

This study investigates the social semiotic markers embedded in selected political reels on Instagram, with the aim of understanding how visual, auditory, and textual elements construct political meaning and influence audience perception. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Social Semiotics as developed by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen (2006), the study adopts a qualitative research design to analyze political reels purposively selected from Instagram. The analysis focuses on the multimodal elements of the reels, including gestures, facial expressions, camera angles, colour symbolism, captions, music, and editing techniques, to determine how these semiotic resources contribute to meaning-making. Findings reveal that political actors strategically use visual and auditory markers to convey leadership, authority, patriotism, relatability, and emotional engagement. Textual elements such as slogans, captions, and subtitles complement these visual and auditory cues, reinforcing political messages and ideological positions. Editing techniques and compositional strategies enhance the narrative structure of the reels, ensuring that messages are persuasive and memorable. The study demonstrates that political reels function as carefully constructed multimodal texts, where meaning emerges through the interaction of various semiotic resources. The findings highlight the importance of social semiotic analysis in understanding contemporary digital political communication, particularly in visual and short-form media. This study contributes to knowledge in the fields of media studies, political communication, and social semiotics by revealing the ways digital platforms mediate political discourse and influence public perception.

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