Cognitive-Pragmatic Strategies in Ukrainian Wartime Press: A Matrix Model of Symbolic Resistance (2022–2025)
Abstract
This article analyses the cognitive-pragmatic mechanisms of Ukrainian national newspapers between 2022 and 2025, investigating how language functions as a strategic resource under conditions of hybrid war. Drawing on frame semantics, speech-act theory and van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model, a 2.1-million-token corpus of 122 front-page items was manually annotated, yielding 3,674 strategy tags. Frequency and association measures reveal seven dominant strategies: “Oppositional Framing”, “Emotional Appeal”, “Rational Argumentation”, “Delegitimisation”, “Victimhood-and-Justice Narrative”, “Counter-disinformation” and “Personalisation”. These moves activate cognitive frames such as “Legitimacy”, “Justice”, “Empathy” and “Negative Imagery”, trigger emotions (fear, pride, compassion) and structure interpretive scenarios that legitimise defensive action while consolidating civic solidarity. A matrix heat map visualises the co-activation of strategies with nine cognitive frames and pragmatic outcomes, revealing synergistic clusters; for example, the triad of oppositional framing, victimhood narrative and counter-disinformation simultaneously reinforces in-group cohesion, mobilises sympathy and protects readers from adversarial messaging. The study demonstrates that wartime journalism orchestrates frames, metaphors and speech acts within an integrated semiotic system, thereby sustaining communicative resilience and ideological agency.