Contrastive news discourse analysis from a pragmatic perspective
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Roel Coesemans
Abstract
This paper explores the possibilities of a combined methodology of contrastive pragmatic ideology research and critical news discourse analysis. Concrete methodological tools from social actor’s analysis, as designed by Van Leeuwen (2008), are integrated into a framework of linguistic pragmatics, proposed by Verschueren (1999, 2008, 2012). By contrasting topically-related news reports concerning the Kenyan post-election crisis from American, British, and Kenyan newspapers salient patterns of unquestioned meaning are scrutinized via an analysis of the representation of social actors. The differences in representational strategies are given ideological interpretations, as they result from different worldviews and contribute to a tribal versus political frame of interpretation. Finally these (sometimes evaluative) interpretations are nuanced and tentatively explained by aspects of the context.
Abstract
This paper explores the possibilities of a combined methodology of contrastive pragmatic ideology research and critical news discourse analysis. Concrete methodological tools from social actor’s analysis, as designed by Van Leeuwen (2008), are integrated into a framework of linguistic pragmatics, proposed by Verschueren (1999, 2008, 2012). By contrasting topically-related news reports concerning the Kenyan post-election crisis from American, British, and Kenyan newspapers salient patterns of unquestioned meaning are scrutinized via an analysis of the representation of social actors. The differences in representational strategies are given ideological interpretations, as they result from different worldviews and contribute to a tribal versus political frame of interpretation. Finally these (sometimes evaluative) interpretations are nuanced and tentatively explained by aspects of the context.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Approaching contrastive media analysis 1
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Section 1. One language – one culture?
- Crosscultural perspectives on advice 11
- Global and local representations of Cambodia 47
- Contrastive news discourse analysis from a pragmatic perspective 67
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Section 2. Culture in communication – culture as communication?
- Film subtitles and the conundrum of linguistic and cultural representation 101
- Linguistic, intercultural and semiotic contrasts of obituaries 123
- Language and culture in minor media text types 145
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Section 3. Does nation matter?
- Italianicity goes global 179
- What defines news culture? 201
- Genre matters 219
- Index 245
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Approaching contrastive media analysis 1
-
Section 1. One language – one culture?
- Crosscultural perspectives on advice 11
- Global and local representations of Cambodia 47
- Contrastive news discourse analysis from a pragmatic perspective 67
-
Section 2. Culture in communication – culture as communication?
- Film subtitles and the conundrum of linguistic and cultural representation 101
- Linguistic, intercultural and semiotic contrasts of obituaries 123
- Language and culture in minor media text types 145
-
Section 3. Does nation matter?
- Italianicity goes global 179
- What defines news culture? 201
- Genre matters 219
- Index 245
