Journalistic Language and Media Communication
Language of Journalistic Articles
Language of the articles: It is used by the mass media (print, radio, TV, etc.).
Communication Characteristics
Mixed codes: One of the most striking features of the language of journalism and advertising is that it consists of several codes used depending on the medium. For example, radio messages mix oral language with musical messages; on TV, oral language is mixed with written language, still images, and moving images.
The Newspaper as a Semiological System
A set of interrelated and interdependent signs allow communication or transmission of information. The newspaper has a series of parts that enable correct decoding by the reader. These parts are the sections, which organize newspaper content by subject and give it a certain order. Almost all newspapers have the following sections: international, national, local, opinion, society, culture, economy, sports, and entertainment. In addition, the first and last pages have specific content and a special graphic design.
Journalistic Genres
The genres are journalistic reporting, opinion, and hybrids, which combine information and opinion:
- News: Reports on a fact of general interest and current events. It should be clear, concise, and contain a minimum of information (answering what, who, where, when, and why, sometimes also how and why). This information is usually in bold below the headlines. It consists of a title and subtitle, although the latter two may be missing. The “body” of the news follows, ordering information from most to least important.
- Report: Greater in extent than news. It delves into the facts, and timeliness is less important. It often presents the background and consequences of the event and statements of witnesses or persons involved. Its structure is like that of the news, except that the body is more extensive and has more freedom to organize information.
- Interview: A variant of the report, characterized by dialogue between the journalist and the interviewee, a character of interest, either because of their person or because their ideas and opinions can provide a better understanding of a topic.
- Chronicle: A hybrid genre, mixing information and opinion. It is a chronological narrative of different aspects of events. The most common are those of war and political, cultural, and sporting activities.
Opinion Genres
- Editorial: An article, generally unsigned, that represents the publication’s ideological line. It has a fixed place in the newspaper and is often a commentary on the most current facts. It uses an expository-argumentative language and aims for an objective tone. It usually has three parts: presentation of the facts, arguments for or against, and conclusions.
- Opinion article: Signed by an important personality who analyzes, from a critical perspective, issues of politics, sociology, science, or culture. The style is similar to that of an essay.
- Column: A short article published weekly, sometimes daily, often occupying a column on the page where it belongs. Its author is a major writer or journalist, and the language is characterized by its humorous or ironic tone.
- Humor: Jokes, cartoons, and caricatures show a subjective opinion and satirical criticism.
Linguistic Features
- Informational texts: The language used in this genre should be objective, clear, and use short sentences. To ensure objectivity, the texts are written in the third person, and passive sentences are used, particularly the passive reflexive, which shifts attention towards the object and distances us from the agent. Impersonal sentences are also used. As for the registers, news articles must use the formal register, but sometimes they use a technical register, typical of specialized languages. The vocabulary level must be elevated but accessible.
- Texts of opinion: The language used is similar to that used in humanistic texts and often in literary language.