John Benjamins Publishing Company
Chapter 5. Off the record
Abstract
This chapter examines the benefits and drawbacks of using Official Reports, such as the UK House of Commons “Hansard” for political discourse analysis. Previous studies identifying transformations that occur to the oral version of events in the process of constructing Official Reports (e.g. Slembrouck 1992) show that transcribers and editors make significant changes and omissions, raising questions about their suitability for the analysis of parliamentary discourse. Acknowledging the theoretical, analytical and interpretative elements of all transcriptions, I critically appraise different types of political discourse analysis that use UK Official Report data. I conclude with some suggestions about the categories affected by Official Report transformations, and suggest that using this data for the analysis of parliamentary discourse should always be critical and reflexive.
Abstract
This chapter examines the benefits and drawbacks of using Official Reports, such as the UK House of Commons “Hansard” for political discourse analysis. Previous studies identifying transformations that occur to the oral version of events in the process of constructing Official Reports (e.g. Slembrouck 1992) show that transcribers and editors make significant changes and omissions, raising questions about their suitability for the analysis of parliamentary discourse. Acknowledging the theoretical, analytical and interpretative elements of all transcriptions, I critically appraise different types of political discourse analysis that use UK Official Report data. I conclude with some suggestions about the categories affected by Official Report transformations, and suggest that using this data for the analysis of parliamentary discourse should always be critical and reflexive.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Part I. Multidisciplinary approaches to political discourse
- Chapter 2. “We have the character of an island nation” 27
- Chapter 3. “Dancing with doxa” 59
-
Part II. Representing the people, representing the government
- Chapter 4. Charting the semantics of labour relations in House of Commons debates spanning two hundred years 81
- Chapter 5. Off the record 105
- Chapter 6. Making “politics” relevant 127
-
Part III. Doing populism
- Chapter 7. A cross-linguistic study of new populist language 153
- Chapter 8. Disciplining the unwilling 179
-
Part IV. Mediated politics
- Chapter 9. Es-tu Charlie? 211
- Chapter 10. United we diverge 235
- Chapter 11. Hybridity and antagonism in broadcast election campaign interviews 259
- Chapter 12. Mediated campaign debate subgenre and their importance for analytic considerations 281
- Chapter 13. Cross-talk in political discourse 301
-
Part V. Self-referential political discourse
- Chapter 14. Reading political minds 333
- Chapter 15. “All this is a boon to Britain’s crumbling democracy” 361
-
Part VI. Doing foreign policy
- Chapter 16. Red lines and rash decisions 385
- Notes on contributors 407
- Index 413
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Part I. Multidisciplinary approaches to political discourse
- Chapter 2. “We have the character of an island nation” 27
- Chapter 3. “Dancing with doxa” 59
-
Part II. Representing the people, representing the government
- Chapter 4. Charting the semantics of labour relations in House of Commons debates spanning two hundred years 81
- Chapter 5. Off the record 105
- Chapter 6. Making “politics” relevant 127
-
Part III. Doing populism
- Chapter 7. A cross-linguistic study of new populist language 153
- Chapter 8. Disciplining the unwilling 179
-
Part IV. Mediated politics
- Chapter 9. Es-tu Charlie? 211
- Chapter 10. United we diverge 235
- Chapter 11. Hybridity and antagonism in broadcast election campaign interviews 259
- Chapter 12. Mediated campaign debate subgenre and their importance for analytic considerations 281
- Chapter 13. Cross-talk in political discourse 301
-
Part V. Self-referential political discourse
- Chapter 14. Reading political minds 333
- Chapter 15. “All this is a boon to Britain’s crumbling democracy” 361
-
Part VI. Doing foreign policy
- Chapter 16. Red lines and rash decisions 385
- Notes on contributors 407
- Index 413