Download Understanding Media Influence on Language: Register & Participants in News Media - Prof. M and more Study notes Political Science in PDF only on Docsity! LING/POLS/AAST/ANTH 3337 Language, Power and Politics Sp 11 Week 6.1 Prof Martha C. Pennington Media Influence – Key Concepts A linguistic style, or register, is described in terms of the three features of: Topic of communication (Field) Medium of communication (Mode) Speaker role(s) & tone/formality (Tenor) Communication genres exhibit variation in register and also in participants in terms of: Who creates the words (Author) Who presents the words (Presenter) Who receives the words (Receiver) Those in charge of different media, especially mass media, have a major influence on society and are able to create representations of the world by selecting topics, the ways they are presented, and the people whose voices are heard. Media Influence A specific group of language users defines a language variety (e.g. a regional dialect or ethnic variety of speech) whereas a specific context of use defines a linguistic style, or register. Register is described in terms of the three features of: Field: topic of communication What is being communicated about Mode: medium of communication Whether communication takes place by speaking or writing, and whether it incorporates other forms of communication media Tenor: speaker role(s) & tone or formality The way speakers or writers present information For example, the communication genre of news differs in register depending on whether it is presented in a newspaper, a news magazine, television news, or internet news. And there are further register differences across different types of each of these, i.e. different types of newspapers, magazines, tv news shows, and internet news sites. Another difference is in the participants in each of these media news genres, that is, in whose voices are heard and to what extent they are speaking their own words and opinions or just reporting others’ words or ideas. Three distinct types of participants can be identified: Author the person who created the words and ideas Presenter a person presenting the words and ideas of someone else Receiver a person who takes in words and ideas of others without taking any active role in producing them Media—and specifically, those who own and run various mass media—have a great deal of influence in society, and this influence is increasing as more and more people are exposed to mass media. The media influence the way that the world is represented by selecting the topics of communication, the ways that they are presented, and the people whose faces are seen and whose voices are heard. Preview Activity 6.2. Contrasting News Media (for Thursday) a. What are some of the new kinds of communication that have been created on the internet, and what is it about the internet that has created them? b. Contrast the following news media in terms of field, mode, tenor, and participants: Field: What are some differences in the topics reported? Newspaper News Magazine 1 LING/POLS/AAST/ANTH 3337 Language, Power and Politics Sp 11 Week 6.1 Prof Martha C. Pennington Television News Internet News Mode: What are some differences in terms of whether the news is given in written, spoken, or visual forms? Newspaper News Magazine Television News Internet News Tenor: What are some of the different speaker or writer roles and levels of formality? Newspaper News Magazine Television News Internet News Participants: Who are the creators of the news? Who are the presenters of it? Who are the receivers of it? Newspaper News Magazine Television News Internet News Preview Activity 7.1. The Medium of Television (for next Tuesday) 2
