Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of political cartoons

Abstract

This article investigates political cartoons related to sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The selected corpus, drawn from specialized digital repositories, illustrates thematic representations of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of restrictive measures. Through analytical tools grounded in the triadic model of sender, code, and receiver, the study aims to uncover latent meanings conveyed through the interplay of verbal and non-verbal modes. Cartoons portray political figures, symbols, and events, often employing prototypes and tools to highlight specific actions and their perceived outcomes. Their multimodal nature combined with satire, metaphor, and criticism makes them especially potent for critical discourse analysis, shaped by historical, political and sociocultural factors. The analysis identifies several communication strategies that implicitly influence public opinion. Cartoons supporting sanctions often depict the Russian nation and its president through denigration, emotional appeals, and fear-based imagery, fostering solidarity with Ukraine and promoting negative assessments of Russian leadership. Conversely, cartoons emphasising the ineffectiveness of sanctions draw attention to Russia’s circumvention tactics, profits from energy exports, and the economic risks to sanctioning nations. These representations may push international leaders toward seeking a ceasefire or, alternatively, undermine support for sanctions and democratic values. Ultimately, political cartoons emerge as semantically rich, visually concise instruments requiring significant background knowledge for proper interpretation. They function not only as tools of critique but also as persuasive media, influencing public discourse on the legitimacy and consequences of geopolitical actions. Based on the analyzed corpus, it has been established that political cartoons simultaneously highlight the ineffectiveness of the chosen mechanisms. On the one hand, they call on international leaders to consolidate efforts toward achieving a ceasefire and preventing potential threats to European security. On the other hand, they contribute to the weakening and delegitimization of sanction-related actions, thereby undermining democratic values and serving as a potential lever for the withdrawal of support for Ukraine.