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How a Pandemic Changed the Way We Speak, See, and Meme: The Hidden Power of Multimodal Discourse

Discourses, Modes, Media and Meaning in an Era of Pandemic

Sabine Tan, Marissa K. L. E.

In this video, we dive into the explosive findings from the book 'Discourses, Modes, Media and Meaning in an Era of Pandemic' by Sabine Tan and Marissa K. L. E. Forget boring academic jargon—we break down how COVID-19 rewired our communication using more than just words. From government posters to viral memes, political cartoons to airline ads, we reveal how images, sounds, and videos silently shaped our reality. Discover why a simple comic strip could change public behavior more than a press conference, how memes became weapons against confusing official messages, and what 'graphic medicine' really means for your health. By the end, you'll never look at a news headline or a social media post the same way again. This is the science of meaning-making in a crisis, made simple and mind-blowing.