EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE AND GENDER FRAMING IN CELEBRITY TALK SHOWS

The article aims to describe the specifics of the verbal implementation of ethnic identity in the Russian media discourse. The relevance of the work is due to the anthropocentric approach to linguistics, based on interdisciplinary connections with philosophy, cultural studies, literary studies, anthropology, etc., which significantly enriches the linguistic study of identity in the media discourse. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the question of understanding media discourse as a verbal and informational continuum, in the space of which specific units are functioning, containing ethnocultural meanings and participating in the formation of the ethnic identity of a particular community. The significance for the theory of language is determined by the fact that extended and justified interpretations of the concepts “ethnicity” and “ethnic identity” are presented. The main parameters of the implementation of ethnic identity in the media discourse are established. The main lexical and semantic means that construct selfidentification in the modern media discourse were analyzed. And also, the accompanying markers of mass information discourse are highlighted. Within the framework of the structural-semantic approach, the following methods were used: discourse analysis, contextual, definitional, and continuous sampling. The results obtained can be used in a course of lectures on ethnolinguistics, sociolinguistics, and linguoculturology.

The paper deals with the lexical and syntactic means of representing a communicative event in discourses of various types. The main focus of the paper is made on a fictional and media discourses. The subject of the study is syntactic structures, which consist of two components, the so-called direct speech and the accompanying words of the author (a remark). These components reflect speech with different subject-addressee coordinates, as a result of which, the structures that they consist of became heterogeneous from a linguosemiotic point of view. The illustrative material of the study covers Ukrainian, English, French, Italian, and German texts. Structures under consideration are interpreted as a linguocultural stereotype formed in the process of development of language and culture to represent a speech event. At the same time, the data of different languages diagnoses tangible variability of structures in their textual design. In some national traditions, there is a tendency to "bring together" two components of the syntactic structure through the use of punctuation marks, while in others, on the contrary, there is a tendency to segment them and make them autonomous. In fictional discourse numerous cases of simple and complex combinations are presented, with an initial, medial or final position of one of them. The lexical toolkit for representing a communicative event is aimed at reflecting the essential characteristics of speech and speech behavior of the communicant. There are verbs whose semantics contain information about the mode of speech action, as well as its intentional component. Lexical means that reflect the paralinguistic plan of speech, various gestures, movements, voice, tone are used intensively to describe additional psychological details and nuances of speech behavior. Texts of modern media discourse also demonstrate the use of these syntactic constructions and their variability. It is shown that their functional load in modern media texts is determined by the actualization in social space of information of a certain type and reader expectations. It is noted that structures under consideration are not typical for reference discourse (encyclopedias, reference books), legal discourse (codes), academic discourse, and are limitedly represented in discourses of other types.

Functioning in media discourse as reference points for shaping people’s worldview, sociocultural stereotypes are considered cognitive-linguistic phenomena, formed in the process of evaluative categorization. A lexical item that represents a sociocultural stereotype in media discourse is determined in the study as a nomen of a stereotype. The aim of the paper is to outline strategies of nomen formation that are found in American media discourse. Nomina of stereotypes are formed by phonetic, morphologic, and semantic means. As phonetic means, onomatopoeia creates a nomen on the basis of a sound representation of a stereotyped group. Morphological nomina are conditioned by available in the language through word formation means such as suffixation, compounding, blending, and acronymization. Semantically motivated nomina of sociocultural stereotypes are formed according to logical, allusive, and figurative strategies. Logical strategy is based on the unbiased perception of a social group, regardless of its emotional and evaluative perception. Transference of a well-known name of a figure or an event to a sociocultural stereotype determines allusive strategy. Figurative strategy lies in the sensory portrayal of stereotypes, which takes place according to metaphorical, metonymic, and eponymous patterns. The results of the research can be applied in lexical discourse analysis, media linguistics, and cognitive semantics studies.

Introduction. The article presents the results of the review of scientific works on discourse theory, reflecting the stages of evolution of media-political discourse in Russian linguistics. The aim of the article is to summarize, systematize and analyze approaches to the study of media-political discourse and concepts of its comprehension. Such concepts as media discourse, media text, media linguistics, and political discourse are considered.Methodology and sources. The article is prepared in the context of the cognitive-discursive paradigm, functional approach to discourse analysis, and media linguistics. In accordance with the postulates of critical discourse analysis, media-political discourse is considered as a constitutive of social practice. The main research method is an analytical scientific review of works on discourse theory.Results and discussion. In the course of the review of works on media and political discourse the main approaches to the understanding and research of media-political discourse are highlighted. The boundaries of this type of discourse as one of the areas of modern discourse theory are outlined. The concepts of scientific cognition that conditioned the formation of media-political discourse are identified. A review of works on related types of discourse at the previous stages of scientific thought is given. Internet discourse is viewed as an alternative source of political information. The article emphasizes the elements of language of enmity and the binary opposition “us/them” in the media-political discourse.Conclusion. The paper reveals a tendency to merge media discourse and political discourse within the framework of media-political discourse in modern linguistics. Among the key approaches to the study of media-political discourse the following approaches are identified: cratological, structural-communicative and media-technological ones; when analyzing the blogosphere it is advisable to refer to critical discourse analysis, structuralfunctional and comparative approaches. The most promising areas of the research include the identification of the essential characteristics of media-political discourse, and the development of genre stratification of this type of discourse.

Understanding lexical meaning is essential in analyzing song lyrics, and metaphors often enrich that meaning. Although research such as Suprihatin (2019) has explored lexical and contextual meaning in song lyrics, and Ngailo, Suastini, and Pratiwi (2020) have analyzed figurative language in Billie Eilish’s songs, these studies do not specifically discuss how metaphors influence and expand lexical meaning to create emotional depth. Darmawan, Sanditari, and Fauziyah (2024) also focus on semantic meaning in Olivia Rodrigo’s songs, and Salsabila (2022) examines conceptual and associative meaning in Tulus lyrics, but does not explore the relationship between lexical meaning and metaphor. This research aims to fill this gap by investigating how metaphor influences lexical meaning in Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower”. Using a qualitative descriptive method with a semantic approach, this research analyzes the lexical meaning in song lyrics and identifies how metaphors expand the meaning of words. The findings suggest that Eilish uses metaphors to provide additional layers of meaning to her word choices, enriching themes of fragility, growth, and hidden beauty. In conclusion, the strategic use of metaphor enhances the lexical meaning of “Wildflowers”, which contributes to the emotional and artistic impact of the song.

The article is devoted to the analysis of cognitive and pragmatic aspects of food representation in media discourse as well as peculiarities of the language means of such representation. The language means used for the realization of cognitive models referring to the spheres of entertainment, cooking and eating as well as the models referring to the negative aspects of food representation in Russian media discourse are investigated. The article also studies the connection between the realization of cognitive models and journalists’ pragmatic goals aimed at a positive or negative representation of food in media discourse. The cognitive models’ dominant components are analyzed. The promotion of such components as participants, food and drink, place, entertainment, characteristics of the object (food), action, consequences, etc., is driven by journalists’ pragmatic goals aimed at drawing attention to particular dishes or preventing the negative consequences of consuming a certain food. Filling the components of the cognitive model with particular contents by means of language units results in achieving the journalist’s goal. The article also investigates the connection between various spheres of human life established by the representation of food. The authors refer to the peculiarities of the realization of the cognitive model “Food as a source of danger”. The results of the undertaken research can be used for analyzing the realization of cognitive models in other types of discourse as well as in theoretical courses on text linguistics, discourse analysis, and media linguistics.

The authors analyse the linguistic strategies modern mass media use when writing about female politicians. Comparison of media discourses in Colombian and Russian media is made by means of interpretive, contextual. discourse and content analysis. The main aim of the study is to identify how the mass media view the role of women in politics and to what extent it is affected by the culture and mentality of the society of a given country. Based on Western European research, three linguistic strategies used by the mass media in the field of “women in politics” were dealt with. As a result of comparing Russian and Columbian media discourses the intensive use of these three strategies in the mass media discourse was identified. Exclusion strategy means that the political power that women have is delegated to them (by men). Invisibility strategy implies the use of a metaphor or catachreza (trope or stylistic error, incorrect or unusual use of word combinations with incompatible literal lexical meanings). The presence of a man as the main co-hero is a determining factor or an integral reference to the political activities of women. Caricature strategy implies description of political actions of women satirically, as caricature, as a ridiculous imitation. Ridicule, derogatory forms of address (derived from one's own name or a diminutive form of a name, reflecting the logic of underestimation) lead to a decline in status. The current media discourse broadcasts the idea that women in politics are isolated cases, exceptions, explained primarily by their personal, political or professional relations with men. Descriptions of women's political activities is full of with stereotypes, prejudices and preconceived notions. Colombian media discourse shows a steady trend towards the use of puns in the linguistic representation of women politicians while Russian mass media tend to use caricature strategies in positioning women in politics. The media discourse of both countries predominantly views women as actors in politics, as subjects that, by their very nature, cannot belong to politics.

The article is devoted to the study of gender realization in the English-language media discourse as a means of reflecting the changing trends in the concepts of femininity and masculinity. The study is carried out within the anthropocentric approach. The aim of this article is to highlight the theoretical frame of reference for the works included in this article. We intend to delimit the field of study for gender discourse analysis by highlighting the main theories and concepts that ensure its specificity. Interdisciplinary, which is the distinctive feature of gender discourse analysis, marks the evolution of research in this field that we are trying to capture in our proposed retrospective approach. The review of research that configures the domain of gender discourse analysis illustrates the latter relevance in deciphering the meaning of communication as an important qualitative research method in the field of communication sciences. On the other hand, the work identifies the specificity of gender representation in the language of contemporary gender-oriented magazines. The novelty of the paper is determined by the disclosure of the trends of new femininity and masculinity in media discourse. Additionally the media is commonly seen as a potential means of influence, control, and innovation in society. As a result, few significant social issues are addressed without some consideration of the role of the mass media. Gender issues are no exception, as illustrated by the following statement: The purpose of this article is to provide insights on the role of the media in status of men and women’s potential for socio-cultural change. The results show that the gender aspect in media discourse is manifested at the level of vocabulary, grammar and stylistics.

Precedent phenomena act as a tool of informing and influencing the addressee in the media space. The aim of the article is to examine the functioning of precedent phenomena as a means of representing current events in media discourse. The relevance of the research is determined by the widespread use of precedent phenomena in mass media. Concepts of precedent phenomena represent a mental image of a stereotypical situation, which reflects the results of human cognition of the surrounding reality. In modern media texts, the peripheral layer is transformed under the influence of the extralinguistic context, while the nuclear layer of the conceptual component of the concept remains unchanged. The value and figurative (metaphorical) components of precedent phenomena related to associations at the diachronic level contribute to the expansion of the notional component of the concept when representing current events at the synchronic level. The article proposes an algorithm for the study of the verbalized concepts “fifth column”, “great game”, “iron curtain”, “cold war”, “road map”, “Pearl Harbor”, which, in the form of perception invariants, are included in the cognitive base of most linguistic and cultural communities. The sources of the research material were the texts of the quality English language press in the period of 2022-2023. To accomplish the task, the following methods are applied: discourse analysis, cognitive analysis, and diachronic analysis. The discourse analysis explicates the meaning of the precedent phenomenon at the synchronic level, taking into account nonlinguistic factors (political and socio-cultural context). Cognitive analysis defines the value component of the concept, which includes subjective modalities (axiological, emotive, deontic). An axiological modality is a rational (positive or negative) assessment of an event. Emotional evaluation is the result of a sensual reaction to a fragment of the world around. The deontic modality is connected with the normative worldview of the society that regulates the behavior of people in the community and the interaction of states in the global world. Diachronic analysis reveals the origin of the precedent phenomenon and defines its value and figurative (metaphorical) aspects, as well as the core layer of the concept. The proposed algorithm of analyzing verbalized concepts can be helpful for professionals in the field of cognitive linguistics, media linguistics, and political linguistics. The investigated precedent phenomena as dynamically evolving and transforming concepts may be of interest for further detailed study.

Real Talk. Reality Television and Discourse Analysis in Action: Nuria Lorenzo-Dus, Pilar Garcés-Conejos Blitvich, Eds., Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2013, 296 pp., ISBN: 978-0-230-36871-2, £74, EUR 100, USD 88 (hardback; paperback available)

This paper describes media linguistics, a linguistic discipline which studies the relationship between language and the media, i. e. which analyses how mass media professionals employ language to depict reality (Perrin 2015). The discipline was established in the late 20th and early 21st century, when it was given a name in English, German and Russian language. However, research on the language of the media had been conducted before that time. The representatives of critical linguistics (e.g. Fowler, Hodge, Tress and Krew 1979) and critical discourse analysis (e.g. van Dijk 1985, 1988) observed how language means are employed to promote political ideology in the media. Later linguists such as Bell (1991), Jucker (1992) or Fairclough (1995) shifted the focus from ideology to the analysis of lexical, syntactic and pragmatic properties of media texts. Today, media linguistics collaborates with other disciplines in conducting multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research studies. In those studies, researchers carry out language and discourse analyses of media texts, categorize texts into genres and group genres into categories on the basis of function or some other property. They also compare texts and examine their genesis as well as the audience’s reaction to them. This paper offers several suggestions for the development of media linguistics in the Republic of Croatia, starting with the adoption of the proposed Croatian name medijska lingvistika. Among other things, it proposes the development of courses about media linguistics as a part of study programmes in the fields of philology and communication science as well a closer co–operation between linguists and communication scientists in studies about the language of the media. Further, it recommends broadening the focus of research to understudied genres and applying the methods of media linguistics to studies about the genesis of media texts in the Croatian language.

This study investigates the use of lexemes that carry lexical and grammatical meanings and examines how both contribute to meaning construction in the Tabangun Aceh newspaper, December 7, 2023 edition. As essential tools for disseminating information, newspapers—both print and digital—hold a significant place in public communication. However, the interpretation of news headlines is often influenced by ambiguous word choices, leading to multiple readings. This issue stems largely from the interplay between lexical and grammatical meaning, which may not always align clearly within journalistic language. Employing a qualitative research approach with a documentation method, this study draws data from digital newspaper texts. The analysis focuses on identifying and interpreting lexical units and syntactic structures that lead to ambiguity or misinterpretation. The findings reveal that lexical meaning, when not supported by appropriate grammatical context, can obscure intended messages and influence reader perception. Thus, the clarity of language in media discourse depends not only on vocabulary but also on how grammatical structures shape the delivery of information. The study underscores the importance of linguistic precision in the formulation of news headlines to ensure effective communication.

The article focuses on revealing the linguistic and creative identity of the author’s “self” in newspaper discourse. The research addresses one of the central issues in modern media linguistics: the manifestation of the author’s individuality in journalistic texts, where personal expression interacts with institutional and social norms of communication. The relevance of this study lies in the growing significance of the author’s position in shaping public opinion, constructing ideological meanings, and influencing readers through subtle linguistic and stylistic mechanisms. The purpose of the article is to analyze how the author’s “self” manifests in lexical, grammatical, and discursive structures, and to identify the creative strategies that form the linguistic image of the journalist in newspaper discourse. The novelty of the research lies in its complex approach that combines linguistic, stylistic, cognitive, and pragmatic analysis of media texts. This approach allows for a more profound understanding of how the author’s “self” functions as both a linguistic construct and a creative phenomenon within mass communication. The study reveals that the author’s individuality is encoded through metaphorical expressions, evaluative vocabulary, syntactic variation, and narrative perspective. As a result, the author’s “self” is shown to function as an important semiotic and communicative category, linking personal creativity with social discourse. The findings expand the theoretical foundations of media linguistics, discourse analysis, and stylistics, offering new perspectives for understanding the linguistic mechanisms of authorial identity in contemporary journalism.

The subject of this publication is related to such directions of modern linguistics as critical discourse analysis, media linguistics, and text semantics. The article examines the features of the media discourse of Ukraine on the example of antonymic semantic relations that are the result of modern discursive practice. The media discourse of modern Ukraine demonstrates the facts of the emergence and functioning of the pseudo-antonymic opposition. The research is based on economic topics articles published in Ukrainian online publications during 2019-2020. The texts of the publications are written in Ukrainian or Russian. All articles are devoted to the problem of “betrayal or victory”. The author of the article asserts that the active functioning of the Ukrainian lexemes “betrayal” and “victory” in the media discourse influenced not only the emergence of unusual oppositional relations between these lexemes. The active use of pseudo-antonyms in speech contributes to the destruction of traditional axiological values of Ukrainians and involves them in pseudo-discussions. Thus, first of all, the “power of discourse” is manifested. The author speaks about the formation of an independent discourse “betrayal or victory” in the Ukrainian media discourse. Pseudo-antonyms explode the pragmatic intentions of the sender of the message and are a means of manipulative influence on the linguistic consciousness of the recipient.

The article is devoted to the research of the leading trends of the media-linguistic discourse in the conditions of martial law. It is noted that today, media linguistics is becoming a means of modernization of language education in Ukraine, a tool of struggle on the information battlefield. In connection with the expansion of the boundaries of modern media discourse, the importance of the inclusion of media linguistics as a discipline of the language cycle in the educational and programmatic matrix of a higher school is substantiated. The peculiarities of the media discourse were traced by means of test monitoring. The results of the survey of applicants for higher education in economic, technical, humanitarian, and pharmaceutical specialties are presented and analyzed. It is shown that media linguistics is gradually entering the public sphere. A set of strategic steps that would contribute to its effective implementation in competence is developed. Proposals to improve the level of media culture of students of higher education in the conditions of martial law have been developed.