MULTIMODAL STYLISTIC DEVICES IN MASS MEDIA POLITICAL CARTOONS: THE SYNERGY OF VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMPONENTS

Abstract

The article examines multimodal stylistic devices in mass media political cartoons, focusing on the specific features of the synergy between verbal and visual codes in the meaning-making process. It substantiates the claim that a political cartoon serves as a complex media text, combining elements of visual rhetoric, linguistic influence, satire, and the symbolic encoding of information. The aim of this study is to identify the primary types of multimodal stylistic devices and to determine the mechanisms of synergy between verbal and visual components that contribute to the effectiveness of satirical impact on the audience. The research employs discourse, semiotic, and stylistic analysis, which made it possible to reveal the nature of interaction between sign systems and the ways they are interpreted in contemporary media discourse. It is emphasized that the multimodality of a political cartoon is based on the complementarity and mutual reinforcement of various semiotic resources, among which the key roles are played by graphic means, colour accents, font markers, metaphorical imagery, as well as verbal elements such as headlines, captions, speech bubbles, English borrowings, and intertextual allusions. It is proven that the synesthesia of verbal and visual codes creates an intensified satirical effect, fosters the development of recipients’ critical thinking, and enhances the ideological load of the cartoon. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of multimodal stylistic devices in political cartoons not only performs informative and evaluative functions but also forms a specific type of media communication aimed at rapid encoding and decoding of meanings. The article highlights the relevance of analyzing political cartoons in the context of modern media practices, as they remain an effective tool of socio-political influence and a reflection of public sentiment. The findings may be applied in further research in media linguistics, semiotics, and the stylistics of multimodal texts, as well as in the training of future specialists in journalism, media communications, and philology.