Self-reference in press releases

Abstract

This article looks at press releases. Drawing from corpus-based evidence on reflexive person, time and place deixis, I shall argue that self-reference in press releases is part of a point of view operation with the writers of press releases switching out of their own perspective towards that of the journalists, who will have to copy the press releases in their own news reporting. It is suggested that self-reference in press releases plays a complex ‘preformulating’ role: i.e. it helps writers of press releases meet the requirements of news reporting. While this data supports claims for a cooperation-oriented social-interactional view of the deictic field, it is shown that self-reference in press releases may also serve less harmonious purposes. More generally, since they are shown not only to fit into the ‘larger social agendas’, but also to actively manage them, it is argued that referential choices can make for interesting linguistic pragmatic research.