Discursive representations of the «shadow fleet» activity in the Italian media

Abstract

The article considers the role of integrity in international trade through the prism of discursive media analysis, in particular how linguistic and narrative praxis shape perceptions of market transparency and could stimulate regulatory responses. The article explains how media texts report on economic processes, create cognitive models within which society and commercial actors can interpret the ethics and legality of actions. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which ‘shadow fleets’ are presented, conducting covert maritime operations through the manipulation of tracking systems, opaque corporate structures and violations of insurance regulations. The analysis covers the lexical-semantic features, structural techniques, and rhetorical strategies that the media use to highlight covert practices and trigger public responses.

The study demonstrates that media narratives serve not only as a source of information, but also as a social regulator: discursive constructions emphasise the ethical evaluation of actors' behaviour, shape standards of compliance with international norms, and stimulate public control. Media coverage of covert entities highlights the importance of a discursive approach in understanding how the mechanisms of interaction between institutions, market players and the public in global trade work together.