Secondary interpretation of scientific knowledge in mass media discourse

Abstract

The article considers the problem of science representation in media discourse within the framework of cognitive approach and the theory of language interpretation. The object of research encompasses secondary scientific texts: critical reviews, reviews, abstracts presented on the educational and scientific organizations websites, and scientific news releases on sites aimed at net coverage. The research focuses on identifying main factors that determine the interpretative specificity of scientific knowledge in media discourse, with respect to the conceptual nature of secondary language interpretation. The authors argue that distinctive features of scientific knowledge conceptual representation in media highly depend on the basic principles of conceptual interaction between the author of the message and the target audience, as well as on the cognitive processes and mechanisms of meaning construction specific to the secondary language interpretation: the process of conceptual derivation and profiling mechanisms — generalization and specialization. They draw attention to the distinction between messages addressing professional or mass audience in terms of level and volume of transmitted scientific knowledge. Language specificity of its secondary interpretation shows up in the use of basic or special terminology, language derivation models, and types of organization and genre features of discourse. The results and conclusions drawn are substantiated by the analysis of main types and functions of secondary language interpretation: selective, classifying, evaluative, as illustrated by messages from different subject domains. The authors come to the conclusion that degree of effectiveness of conceptual interaction between the author of the message and the target audience in the processes of transmitting and interpreting scientific knowledge largely depends on the alignment in these types and functions of secondary language interpretation applied on both author and audience sides. The latter (especially with respect to the shared knowledge in a particular field) also determines the degree of conflictfree scientific media communication in general.