(De)Constructing Myths in Editorial Cartoons: The Case of Philippine Elections

Abstract

The electoral situation in the Philippines can be described as dramatic, and it seems to be a severe political competition since various media are exploited and manipulated; either the purpose is to construct or to assassinate one's character. This paper analyzed 20 editorial cartoons to identify the signifiers, infer the connotative meanings, and analyze the myths present in the editorial cartoons that represent the upcoming Philippine National election in 2022. This research employed a qualitative descriptive research design and content analysis. The researchers utilized purposive sampling in selecting the twenty editorial cartoons from reputable newspaper companies in the Philippines. Results of the study showed that the common signifiers present in the editorial cartoons were the men in barong and wearing salakot representing the Filipino citizens, alligator, lion, and pig representing the candidates, and finger-pointing that connotes blaming. Another significant finding that emerged from this study was the nine deconstructed myths inferred from the signifiers: political feud, hiding true intentions, political colors, election promises, power tripping, social media influence in electoral campaigns, foreign influence, honesty in an election, and nuisance candidates. In conclusion, from the perspective of the cartoonists of different media outlets, the election situation in the Philippines is negatively framed. Thus, the researchers recommend to conduct a study related to the signs used to portray the election process to understand the relationship of the concepts between its denotative and connotative meanings.