The Strategic Framing of Abortion Discourse on Czech Social Media

Abstract

Abortion remains one of the most polarizing public issues, with social media playing a crucial role in shaping narratives and influencing public opinion. This study examines how Czech pro-life actors strategically construct abortion discourse social media, focusing on key linguistic and visual strategies, underlying ideologies, and the role of digital platforms in amplifying their messages. Focusing on three representative voices—an activist movement (Movement for Life), a confrontational initiative (Stop Genocide), and the institutional Catholic Church—the analysis explores how emotional testimony, moral absolutism, and spiritual symbolism are mobilized to shape public narratives. Six Facebook posts are analyzed using discourse and visual framing theory, revealing a multi-layered ideological communication strategy. The article highlights the interplay between empathy, visual provocation, and religious authority in constructing abortion as a moral issue. The study also outlines a future phase based on semi-structured interviews to validate and deepen the discursive findings. The Czech case illustrates how pro-life actors operate in a post-secular, digitally mediated context and contributes to the scholarly dialogue on religion, communication, and contested moralities.