Legitimation and Solidarity Strategies in Saad Jaber’s COVID-19 Press Conference Briefings: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Authors

  • Aysha Abughazzi

    Department of English Language and Linguistics, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
  • Salsabeel Abu Siam

    Department of English Language and Linguistics, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11405
Received: 31 July 2025 | Revised: 1 September 2025 | Accepted: 11 September 2025 | Published Online: 4 November 2025

Abstract

This study examines the press conference briefings delivered by Jordan's former Minister of Health, Saad Jaber, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Unlike much existing scholarship that frames pandemic communication primarily through the lens of crisis or fear discourse, this article situates Jaber's briefings within a hybrid continuum between urgency and solidarity. The aim is to explore how his discourse fostered credibility, encouraged compliance with defense laws, and reinforced collective identity during a period of acute medical and social uncertainty. The study draws on a corpus of thirty-two briefings delivered between March and October 2020. Jaber's oral statements were transcribed and analyzed using van Leeuwen's socio-semiotic model of legitimation and Wodak's model of national identity construction. The qualitative analysis considered both linguistic strategies and semiotic resources, including voice quality, tone, and audience reception on social media. Findings reveal that Jaber legitimized government measures through appeals to expertise, rationalization, and moral evaluation, while simultaneously humanizing his role through empathy and involvement. His calm, steady prosody and measured delivery afforded reassurance, softening the authority of his institutional position. These features enabled a relational mode of governance that this article conceptualizes as sentient authority – a mitigated form of power exercised through affective alignment, calibrated social distance, and solidarity appeals. The study concludes that Jaber's discourse represents a counter-crisis communication model, balancing directive authority with inclusive solidarity, and underscores the value of CDA in unpacking how language and semiotic resources shape public trust in times of crisis.

Keywords:

Saad Jaber; Critical Discourse Analysis; Legitimation; Solidarity; Press Conference Briefings; COVID-19 Pandemic; Sentient Authority

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How to Cite

Abughazzi, A., & Abu Siam, S. (2025). Legitimation and Solidarity Strategies in Saad Jaber’s COVID-19 Press Conference Briefings: A Critical Discourse Analysis. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11405

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

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Copyright © 2025 Aysha Abughazzi, Salsabeel Abu Siam

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