Strategic Maneuvering in The Guardian and The Financial Times:A Comparative Critical Stylistic Study

Abstract

This study examinesstrategic maneuvering in 14 online articles onartificialintelligence inThe Guardian andThe Financial Times.The study explores how the differentwriters employ the three aspects of strategic maneuvering, namely topical potential,audiencedemand, and presentational devices. Thedata are carefully selectedand have specific criteria as the articles are only argumentative opinion articles on artificialintelligence covering the span of four years as of 2020 till 2023.To this end, the study relieson VanEemeren’s (2018) model of strategic maneuvering along withVanEemeren,Grootendorst and Henkemans’ (2002) taxonomy of fallacies, Wodak and Meyer’s (2001)taxonomy of topoi, van Dijk’s (2012) argumentative moves, and Jeffries’ (2010) criticalstylistic model. The article fills a gap in the literature by integrating argumentationand critical stylistics.In addition, the researcher suggests specific elements to explore theaudience demand aspect and the presentational devices aspect. Results show that the twonewspapers balance between reasonableness and effectiveness by making certain topicalchoices, meeting the audience’s preferences and utilizingsuitable presentational devices.Besides,the writers keep warning the readers of the negative sideand potential dangersofartificialintelligence which stresses their disapproval of unplanned automation.