Discourse and the denial of racism Teun A. van Dijk UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM ABSTRACT. Within the broader framework of a research programme on the reproduction of racism in discourse and communication, the present article examines the prominent role of the denial of racism, especially among the elites, in much contemporary text and talk about ethnic rela- tions. After a conceptual analysis of denial strategies in interpersonal i mpression formation on the one hand, and within the social-political context of minority and immigration management on the other, various types of denial are examined in everyday conversations, press reports and parliamentary debates. Among these forms of denial are disclaimers, mitigation, euphemism, excuses, blaming the victim, reversal and other moves of defence, face-keeping and positive self-presentation in negative discourse about minorities, immigrants and (other) anti-racists. KEY WORDS: conversation, denial, discourse, elites, ethnic minorities, France, Germany, immigrants, impression management, the Nether- lands, news reports, parliamentary debates, racism, text, United King- dom, USA DISCOURSE AND RACISM One of the crucial properties of contemporary racism is its denial, typically illustrated in such well-known disclaimers as 'I have nothing against blacks, but . . .'. This article examines the discursive strategies, as well as the cognitive and social functions, of such and other forms of denial in differ- ent genres of text and talk about ethnic or racial affairs. The framework of this study is an interdisciplinary research programme at the University of Amsterdam that deals with the reproduction of racism through discourse and communication. In this research programme several projects have been carried out that analysed everyday conversations, text- books, news in the press, parliamentary discourse and other forms of public and organizational communication (van Dijk, 1984, 1987a, 1987b, 1991). The guiding idea behind this research is that ethnic and racial prejudices are prominently acquired and shared within the white dominant group through everyday conversation and institutional text and talk. Such dis- DISCOURSE & SOCIETY © 1992 (SAGE, London, Newbury Park and New Delhi), -----------------------------------------------+ 3(1): 87-118.