Ranes, Honey Jane J.

Third Year BAELS-BPOO

ENG111- Intro to Lang. Identity, Society, & Culture

Chapter 29
Interaction and The Media
Brigitta Busch & Petra Pfisterer

Introduction

The subsection of the media into many industries, including the lines between print, film,
radio, and television, are becoming increasingly indistinct as media businesses embrace
multimedia and a variety of new technologies (computers, mobile phones) make a variety of
media goods accessible practically anywhere, at any time. The phrase "digital divide" refers
to new exclusions in terms of representation and access that are brought about by the media
industries' dominance in a globalized market and the monetization of media communication
(Busch & Pfisterer, 2011). Research on the relationships between language practices and
the media is likewise challenged by these developments. This chapter discusses the role of
interaction, which may play in different forms or approaches, and the media on its societal
relevance and function in creating nuanced changes and meaning in the evolving pattern of
communication and behavior of people and society.

Media
1. Traditional media describes well-established avenues of communication that existed
before the internet. These mediums generally feature a one-way exchange of
information from a central repository to a broad audience.
2. Digital Media is a term used to describe data and content that is available in digital
format, which allows for electronic device access, transmission, and storage. It
includes a wide range of platforms and channels. It is the colorful era of media.

APPROACHES TO THE MEDIA IN LINGUISTICS

● Language policy, language planning, and the media

-refers to the related field that studies how institutions, media, and governments
affect and mold how languages are used in a community.
-Language planning, according to Kaplan and Baldauf (1997) in their book
"Language Planning," is the deliberate efforts made to affect the status, function, and
structure of languages within a society.

1. Standardization: Establishing norms for grammar, spelling, and vocabulary

to create a unified form of a language (corpus planning).
2. Promotion: Elevating the prestige and use of a specific language in different
areas like education and media (status planning).
3. Terminology development: Coining new words and phrases to address the
needs of particular fields (terminology planning).

- In James W. Tollefson's book "Language Policies in Education: Critical Issues"

(2008), language policy is examined through a critical lens. While the book focuses
on education, it sheds light on the broader concept. Tollefson defines language policy
as the set of deliberate decisions and actions taken by governments or institutions
regarding languages used within a specific educational context or a broader societal
framework. These policies might focus on:

1. Official language(s): Deciding which language(s) will be used for official

purposes like government documents, education, and law courts.
 2. Language rights: Protecting and promoting the use of minority languages.
3. Language education: Strategies for teaching languages in schools and other
institutions.

- A different perspective on the media in the field is made possible by the focus on
the social, economic, and political repercussions of language interaction, which views
linguistic practices as social practices. There is a double perspective, micro and
macro perspective, which affects the language policy. The micro level of perspective
concerns globalized markets that have supranational regulatory bodies, which is
evident through multilingualism, which has control or effect over daily life. Macro, on
the other hand, is more concerned with the hegemonic spread of English and other
languages.

-In discussing Minority media there are three main approaches (Busch,1999)
1. a minority or human rights approach in which the question of access and
participation of linguistic/ ethnic minorities (in a national public sphere)
dominates;
2. an approach that is more oriented towards questions of language loss and
language revitalization;
3. Finally, a more recent paradigm takes a speaker-centered approach and
focuses on questions of constructions of (multiple, hybrid) identities.
● Multilingualism and the media
○ Media and Migration
In the early stages of labor migration in Western Europe, immigrants
were given access to media in their mother tongues. However, media content
for migrants changed to the official languages of the host countries when
state strategies turned toward assimilation or integration. This phenomenon
implies that government actions have a vital impact on the accessibility of
media to immigrant groups in terms of language.

The article by Wood and King (2013) delves into the multifaceted role that
media plays in migration. The writers look at how media portrayals shape the
public's perception of migrants and migration processes. They contend that
the media has the power to reshape views, frame stories, and even influence
political choices. The article also looks at how migrants themselves utilize
 media to break down barriers, establish new groups, and connect with loved
ones.

● Minority media impact: Symbolic Role; Economic Role; Developing a public

sphere within a community; Community representation within and beyond;
and a Key conveyor of culture and producer of Cultural Products.

Greenberg, Mastro, and Brand (2002) investigate how minority

representation on television is changing. In this chapter, minority groups in the
early 21st century are portrayed on television, presumably expanding on
previous studies on the influence of media. The writers examined the amount
and caliber of these depictions, taking into account both favorable and
unfavorable preconceptions. They discussed how these representations could
affect viewers in terms of how they perceive minorities and how they might
lead to misunderstandings or understanding.

○ Computer-mediated communication (CMC), in the context of media and

interaction, refers to communication that takes place through digital
technologies using computers or other electronic devices. It describes
communication that happens using digital tools such as online forums, social
media, instant messaging, and email. According to Wei et al. (2008), these
platforms are now the main avenues for exchanging information, consuming
news, and even creating original material. The influence of CMC on the media
is complex. Decentralized content creation is made possible by it, enabling
users to have an active role in the process as opposed to only being passive
consumers (Jones, 2009). Furthermore, CMC supports the emergence of new
media forms that use social media influencers and citizen journalism as a
means of reaching large audiences (Chadwick, 2013).

● A focus on the media text

- “the ‘text’ as such has been somewhat ‘decentralized’ and the focus of
interest has shifted to the (social, cultural, political) context and to the
‘localization’ of meaning.”- Busch (1999)

In order to argue that meaning is not fixed but rather developed by

interaction and dialogue, Bakhtin (1981) highlighted the dialogic nature of
 language and discourse. He popularized the theory of "heteroglossia," which
holds that every speech is influenced by and carries remnants of several
voices and discourses. Texts are in ongoing communication with other texts
and cultural surroundings, according to Bakhtin, rather than existing as
independent entities. Additionally, media messages rely on relationships
between lots of different genres, either synchronically or diachronically. Texts
from media transcend plain language. Linguistic approaches provide
multifaceted perspectives. Discourse analysis looks at how words in media
create social realities (Wodak & Fairclough, 2003). Pragmatics investigates
how linguistic decisions affect how an audience interprets information
(Levinson, 1983). Language variation is analyzed by functional stylistics
according to the goal of the media (Halliday & Hasan, 1989). The study of
cognitive linguistics looks at how mental models affect how people
understand media (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002). Lastly, multimodality
highlights how language, images, and sound interact to convey meaning
(Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Combining these approaches allows for a
deeper understanding of media communication as each one provides a
different lens.

● Media linguistics
- According to different linguists, media linguistics investigates the distinctive
features of language employed in diverse media forms. This area of study
goes beyond just reading text on a page or screen. The way language
choices in media shape social realities and ideologies is emphasized by
academics such as Fairclough and Wodak (2003). Some, such as Kress and
van Leeuwen (2006), support the idea of multimodality, acknowledging the
interaction of words, images, sound, and other components in media texts to
communicate meaning. Furthermore, cognitive linguists such as Fauconnier
and Turner (2002) investigate how metaphors and mental space
representations, in particular, play a role in shaping our understanding of
media. Media linguistics is able to analyze the power relationships, intended
messages, and cultural influences that are present in media communication
because of this multidimensional approach.

- According to Luginbühl's (2015) article "Media Linguistics: On Mediality

and Culturality" which revolves around the intricate relationship between
media, language, and culture, the focus of media linguistics is on the various
 methods which distinct media channels process signs and the semiotic
materialities that make them up. This implies that language is presented and
shaped differently in each form of media (such as social media, newspapers,
and television). Media linguistics broadens the focus of traditional linguistics,
which frequently concentrates on the study of written language. It takes into
account each media form's particular discursive practices, cultural influences,
and affiliated organizations and social groups. Luginbühl highlights a change
in media linguistics. The field's initial focus was on traditional journalism
media analysis. However, the emphasis has shifted to include a more
extensive variety of media types as a result of the emergence of digital
communication and an eroding of boundaries between one-to-many and
one-to-one communication.

● Critical Discourse Analysis

Critical speech Analysis (CDA) has emerged as a potent instrument for linguists to
analyze the ways in which media speech reflects power dynamics, ideologies, and
social structures. Studies by scholars such as Teun van Dijk highlight how language
choices in media texts are not neutral; instead, they serve to create particular
realities that support particular points of view. Researchers can find underlying power
dynamics and potential biases by analyzing these decisions.

CDA is more than just looking at word choice. Fairclough contends that every step of
the news production process is vital, from choosing sources to structuring articles.
Through a critical analysis of these components, CDA can highlight the
marginalization or silencing of particular groups or viewpoints in media narratives.

● Critical linguistics

According to academics like Fairclough and van Dijk, critical linguistics examines
media texts to reveal the subliminal ideologies woven into them. This method is
predicated on the notion that language is a two-way street that both shapes and
reflects our perception of the outside world. Our language serves as a mental filter
that shapes our perception of reality while also being influenced by the social and
power systems in our environment.

Critical linguists analyze these ideological impacts in media texts using a particular
set of tools. They concentrate on identifying particular language choices, such as the
 choice of vocabulary (lexical choices), the presentation of actions (transitivity), the
use of the passive voice (passivization), the underlying sentence structures (syntactic
forms), the level of certainty expressed (modality), and the intention behind particular
utterances (speech acts). Critical linguists seek to reveal the ideological statements
concealed in the media by examining these components.

● Conversation analysis

In recent years, there has been an increasing intersection between Conversation

Analysis (CA) and media studies, providing insightful information on how
communication occurs in various media formats. Although CA has historically
concentrated on in-person interactions, researchers such as Hutchby (2006) contend
that its techniques may be successfully utilized to examine talks that are mediated by
technology. This method works particularly efficiently for studying media in which
interaction is a central feature. Studies by researchers like Downing (2013) examines
the means by which talk shows use particular questioning strategies and turn-taking
behaviors to influence conversation flow and create narratives.

● Style and stylization

-Style and Lifestyle: According to Pierre Bourdieu (1979), our communication style is
the manner in which we express things that reflect our lifestyle, which is the result of
our deeply rooted routines and social positions. Pierre Bourdieu provides an
intriguing viewpoint on the relationship between style and lifestyle in the field of social
theory. Style, especially in communication, serves as a "surface correlate of habitus,"
according to Bourdieu (1979). A key idea in his work, habitus, describes the
internalized system of behaviors, preferences, and dispositions that are molded by
our experiences and social context. Thus, style turns into "an outward manifestation"
of this interior system.

-Style as Social Negotiation: According to Coupland (2007), style is a meaningful

"semiotic unit," which is the smallest analytical unit used to examine style. With this,
we can comprehend how people negotiate social meaning in a conversation by
looking at how we select and employ these features. In Chapter 29, Style and
Stylization, by Bursch and Pfisterer, it was said that “Variationist linguistics treated
style as an interesting but relatively marginal dimension of language variation."
A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS OF MEDIA COMMUNICATION

● Recontextualization and intertextuality

A series of recontextualizations can be used to analyze and understand media

transmission. These changes can happen at any point during the communication
process and connect the realm of production to the contexts of daily activities where
media are used. From a linguistics standpoint, the media communication process is
best summed up by the concept of intertextuality, which was created by Julia Kristeva
in 1980 using ideas from Mikhail Bakhtin. Intertextuality becomes visible on both
levels of potential meaning and linguistic practices that are evident in the texts.
Different factors influence how the media produces content and how viewers
consume it. While consumers interact with the media through their own daily routines
and available resources, media outlets create material according to predetermined
procedures. Official remarks, interviews, news releases, visual aids, archived
documents, references to other media stories, personal contacts, even
user-generated content, and occasionally even unverified information are just a few
of the many sources available to journalists (Busch & Pfisterer, 2011).

● Modalities and meanings

Throughout media history, there have been significant changes to the ways in which
the various mediums interact. In many cultural contexts, writing was regarded as the
primary means of transmitting authoritative speech and canonical knowledge. This
 custom, in which written communication predominates text, had an impact on radio
production to the extent that, in the early days of the medium, almost all radio texts
were written down and then read out during the radio broadcast. For a while, news
broadcasts on television did not display the speaker's image since it was believed
that the moving picture could divert viewers' attention. The "new media" can make a
difference with their interactive techniques to a broader decentralization of standard
languages and support methods that utilize a variety of linguistic and stylistic
resources. In their work on visual communication, Gunther Kress and Theo van
Leeuwen (1996) introduce the concept of "modalities" as a way to understand how
meaning is constructed in visual texts.

Note: There are diverse or different modes of communication to cater to diverse

needs and practical development in every field in which it may apply.

● Imagining the audience

In media, there are different audience configurations. The first, which is frequently
connected to public service media, sees its viewers as fellow citizens. In this
instance, the communication model adopts a "transmission" strategy (citing McQuail,
1987). The media assumes the role of a father figure, trying to instill in the populace
values, customs, and preferences. A predetermined meaning must be clearly sent
from the sender to the recipient for communication to be successful.

Private commercial media, on the other hand, use a different arrangement. Here,
audiences are referred to as consumers of the media material as well as the goods
that are promoted in it. An "attention" model replaces the communication model
(McQuail, 1987). Effectiveness is determined by capturing the interest of the
audience; the precise message communicated becomes less significant. Sensational
factors such as scoops, exceptional events, and controversies are highlighted in
order to achieve this.

Alternative media takes a distinct approach when engaging its viewers. It sees them
as engaged contributors to both the production of media and social movements. This
strategy aims to dismantle the conventional divide that exists between media
producers and consumers. The intention is to preserve the distinct viewpoints of
various "informants" within the story while enabling "the Other" (marginalized groups)
to portray themselves honestly. As a result, Mikhail Bakhtin's aim of exposing
 society's diverse range of views in three dimensions is more closely aligned with
alternative or third-sector media (Todorov, 1984). These dimensions are:

● Heteroglossia (raznojazycˇnie): The presence of multiple languages and

dialects within the media.
● Heterophony (raznoglossie): The inclusion of diverse individual voices and
perspectives.
● Heterolalia (raznorecˇie): The representation of a variety of social
discourses and viewpoints.

● Media and everyday practices

Technology has made a significant impact on the ways in which we interact with
media and the range of interfaces that are available (Busch & Pfisterer, 2011).
Newspapers and other traditional print media are no longer limited to physical copies.
Presently, they can be found in altered formats, such as mobile device adaptations
and interactive internet versions. Our everyday interactions with media are
profoundly altered by the ongoing changes in media layouts. Our perception of media
in relation to time and space becomes increasingly flexible and adaptive.
 Annotated Bibliography
Title: The impact of new media on traditional media

Author/s: Rajendran, L., & Thesinghraja, P. (2014)

Publication: Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 22(4), 609-616.

Abstract:
This scholarly article explores the dynamic relationship between new media and traditional
media, particularly in the context of the Middle East. It delves into how the emergence and
proliferation of new media platforms, such as social media and online news outlets, have
influenced the landscape of traditional media channels like newspapers, television, and
radio. The authors analyze various aspects of this impact, including changes in consumption
patterns, content dissemination, and audience engagement. Through empirical research and
theoretical frameworks, the article provides valuable insights into the challenges and
opportunities faced by traditional media in adapting to the digital age.

keyword/s: Traditional Media

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the impact of the new media and print media on a representative subset of
the Indian population?

Methodology
Tools for Data Collection: The primary data was collected by a questionnaire, and the
structured interview was conducted by the experts. The findings and conclusions have been
drawn based on the survey results and the expertise view on the topic.

Findings
● The young and middle-aged population prefers to get their news and other
information from online sources, whilst newspapers and other legacy print media are
popular amongst the older population.
 ● Ease of access to information, the interactive nature of social media, and the
on-demand availability of news are the primary reasons cited by the former group of
the population to favor the new media.
● New media and print media are bound to coexist and reinforce each other. Almost
80% of the population feels that newspaper are politically-biased. Nevertheless,
around 80% of them feel it newspaper are more trustworthy.
● Newspapers allow for the mere consumption of information, whereas online media
provides an interface for opinion-makers to create social change.

The convenient access to online news for free is little reason to pay for a newspaper
subscription. The witness of not the "End" of print but rather the adaptation of print and news
organizations to rapidly changing consumer patterns and a corresponding shift towards
digital content has brought the new media to create its impact on society at a faster pace.

Recommendations
N/A

References
Rajendran, L., & Thesinghraja, P. (2014). The impact of new media on traditional media.
Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 22(4), 609-616.
Title: Media linguistics: origins, problems and prospects
Author/s: Brusenskaya, L., & Kulikova, E.
Publication: Медиаобразование (2018)

keyword/s: Media linguistics, media communication, media language, scientific expenses,

standard, language substandard.

Abstract
Brusenskaya and Kulikova's (2018) paper explores the history, significance, and
potential future directions of the newly emerging subject of media linguistics. From its early
beginnings as the study of language in mass media, the authors chart the development of
media linguistics to its present state as a multimodal field that includes a broad spectrum of
media forms and communication activities.

Statement of the Problem

1. How has the field of media linguistics evolved?
2. What are the main methodological and theoretical issues that media linguistics is
facing?
3. What are the emerging fields of study and possible avenues for media linguistics in
the future?

Methodology
A multi-methods analysis approach was mentioned in the study, particularly,
Historical-cultural analysis, Sociolinguistic Approach, and Hemaneutic Approach.
Philosophical principles such as the dialectical unity of form and substance, the universal
determinism of events, and the transformation of quantitative changes into qualitative ones
provide the methodological foundation of research, this study was conducted as a qualitative
study.
Findings
This study emphasizes how crucial interdisciplinarity is to media linguistics.
Collaboration with other humanities disciplines is replacing the traditional isolation of
linguistics. This enables researchers to investigate interrelated complexities rather
than isolated phenomena. Subsequently, the emphasis moves to media linguistics
and the connection between linguistics and journalism. In order to improve media
language and find implicit or concealed information in media texts, the writers stress
the importance of teamwork. By working together, we can preserve high cultural
standards and reduce negativity in media coverage. Finally, the researchers consider
the didactic (pedagogical) aspect to be extremely significant, since media linguistics
as a branch of linguistics should become both an educational subject at journalism
faculties and a separate profile of training within the areas of "Journalism" or
"Philology".

Recommendations
N/A

References
Brusenskaya, L., & Kulikova, E. (2018). Media linguistics: origins, problems and prospects.
Медиаобразование, (1), 168-183.

Title: Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in Media Discourse Studies: Unmask the
Mass Media

Author/s: Sahmeni, E., & Afifah, N.

Publication: REiLA: Journal of Research and Innovation in Language (2019)

Abstract

This paper investigates how media discourse studies can use Critical Discourse Analysis
(CDA). According to the authors, CDA offers a valuable framework for examining the ways in
which ideologies and power dynamics are ingrained in media messaging. They discuss the
fundamental ideas of CDA and how it might "unmask" the prejudices and covert goals that
exist in the media.

Keyword/s: CDA; Media discourse; Ideology and Power; Van Dijk; Social actors
Statement of the Problem
1. How does CDA unravel the covert ideologies while researching the existence
of power in media discourse studies?

Methodology
Prior to beginning the analysis, a Google Scholar and ProQuest Scholarly Journal
electronic database search is conducted. Given the ProQuest database is reliable and offers
a wide range of information from numerous reliable sources, it was selected to look for
relevant research for this evaluation. The researchers utilized scholarly search engines like
Google Scholar in gathering the required and related data to be analyzed with the
application of the CDA using the Fairclough analysis framework, and the second and third
themes are related to the application of CDA using the Van Dijk framework.

Findings

Studying the relationship between political ideology, language, and power exposes how
dominant organizations manipulate language to shape public opinion and prevent weaker
groups from participating. Opposing ideas are marginalized, information is presented
selectively, and positive self-promotion is used to maintain power. The study emphasizes the
use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a method to examine language-based power
relations and give voice to underrepresented groups. The findings state that "Discriminative
groups are described as another negative presentation because these groups are
suppressed by a dominant group that has a positive self-presentation. The study below is
organized under three main themes related to Fairclough's analytical framework, ideological
and ideological aspects of Van Dijk".

Recommendations
n/a

References
Sahmeni, E., & Afifah, N. (2019). Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in Media
Discourse Studies: Unmask the Mass Media. REiLA: Journal of Research and Innovation in
Language, 1(2), 39-45.
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