Elite Influence and Threat Construction by Language; The Discursive Features of the US Militarization of Cyberspace in Obama Administration

This article focuses on the discursive features of the US securitization of cyberspace in Obama administration. Relying on the Copenhagen school’s definition of securitization and using Fairclough’s dialectical relational approach to critical discourse analysis, this study is an attempt to see how discourse making was done as part of a securitization process whereby cyber threats were moved to national security arena and led to discoursal militarization of cyberspace. Assuming that discourse making prepares a ground for elite influence, the current study looks into how the US political leaders contributed to militarization of cyberspace between ۲۰۰۹ and ۲۰۱۷ through discourse making which, in turn, paved the way for actual policy initiatives to militarize cyberspace.

Keywords:

Critical Discourse Analysis , Militarization , the US , Cyberspace , Securitization