Language Use In Media Research Articles

Age Group Differences in Social Media Language Use: Identity Representation via Emojis and Abbreviations

This paper aims to analyse how age groups impact the use of social media language (SL) in online textual conversations, focusing on the type, polarity, and subjectivity of SL to explore identity representation across different age groups. During data collection in 2023, there were 4.76 billion social media users worldwide; hence, understanding the use of SL is essential for analysing how individuals express their emotions and identities online. SL consists of emoticons/emojis, abbreviations, and mixed language in textual conversations. For this study, a qualitative approach was used, with 46 participants from three age groups: 25-34, 35-44, and 45-54 engaging in mock group conversations for one hour using WhatsApp. The participants were separated into six group conversations. The findings show that the older age groups (35-44 and 45-54) prefer to discuss technical or professional topics, whereas the younger age groups (25-34) are more interested in games, food, entertainment, and fun. Furthermore, for the age group 25-34 there is a high usage of emoticons/emojis, whereas the age group 45-54 uses them the least. These findings indicate that age groups have a significant influence on the use of SL and topic preferences in textual conversations, providing insights that will be used to develop a Natural Language Processing (NLP) tool for online identity classification. This study enhances human-computer interaction by investigating how different age groups use SL in digital environments.

Studying the Impact Of D.P.SL Model on Online Identity Management

This paper investigates online identities through social media language use, with a focus on classifying online identity within textual conversations. It sheds light on how Demographic (D) groups and Personality (P) impact the use of Social-Media Language (SL) for identity representation online. This study was conducted in 2023 when there were 4.76 billion social media users worldwide, making it essential to study how social media language is used in textual conversations to convey online identity. The study defines social media language as consisting of emoticons/emojis, abbreviations, and mixed language within textual conversations, which have become essential for expressing feelings and emotions during conversations. The D.P.SL based survey conducted for this work aimed to understand how demographic groups and personality are related to social media language. Based on the total number of social media user worldwide, 400 responses (required based on Cochran and Yamane’s formulae sample-size calculation) and the survey was distributed across various verified online survey exchange platforms. However, 406 responses were recorded with young people in age groups of 18-24 and 25-34 using social media language more as it has become a part of their social media habits. The study also found that emoticons/emojis and slang abbreviations with letter reduplication were quite common, making conversations lively and funny. Additionally, individuals whose primary language is not English use their native language but type in English for quick communication. Subsequent study is to be conducted using online mock group conversations between participating respondents to further understand correlations, causation, and concurrency on how ‘online identity’ is managed during online communications via social media language, its context of use, and polarity sentiment.

Patterns of Code-switching in the Amharic Media

This study examines patterns of Amharic-English code-switching in the Amharic media language use. It employed a qualitative descriptive approach, which helped break down the recordings and transcripts into intelligible units that helped explain the various language use forms created by code-switching in the Amharic media. Thus, five Amharic media outlets focusing on sport, medical science, and science and technology were purposively selected to study language use in the Amharic media. Hence, 1090 examples which have both Amharic and English elements were selected. A generic step of data analysis was made so as to classify the different types and patterns of code-switching instances. The findings indicated that the three different types of code-switching, namely tag switching, inter-sentential code-switching, and intra-sentential code-switching, are found in the Amharic media language use. Moreover, it was found that there are different patterns of code-switching from English to Amharic. Thus, it is shown that Amharic is the matrix language and is quite resistant against any change of its basic word order. It can also be seen that the mixed constituents found in the Amharic media confirm that the matrix language frame (MLF) model can satisfactorily explain the patterns of Amharic-English code-switching.

Analysing New York Times Coverage of Sexual Abuse Over Time Through Natural Language Processing

Sexual abuse is a prevalent issue in modern society, having acquired prominence during the #MeToo movement in the early twenty-first century. Previous studies note that the media, as a major source of information, plays a significant role in reflecting and shaping societal perceptions of sexual abuse incidents. As a result, analyzing language use in media is crucial in forming an understanding of how inherent biases are conveyed in text. This work aims to investigate the media framing of sexual abuse using NLP techniques such as Valence Arousal Dominance (VAD) analysis and analysis of power and agency scores of verbs. This research investigates the implications of media framing of sexual abuse by incorporating computational modelling and sociolinguistic research. This approach can demonstrate how conscious and unconscious prejudices materialize in text, impacting how specific groups—in this research, victims and perpetrators—are portrayed in the media. Our results show that although the increase in coverage surrounding sexual abuse contributed to an increasingly positive view of female victims from the early 20th century—signaled by an increase in power and agency over time—they were still portrayed as having considerably less power and agency than their male perpetrators. Additionally, girl victims were portrayed with consistently less agency than women victims.

Language as The Expression Representation of Thoughts

The focus of this research was ‘How is the form, content, and modes of language segment in the indicated media has many implicatures?’ The problem was studied by using a qualitative research design. The data were collected through observation, documentation, mingling, and focus group discussion. The data collected were analyzed by using the phenomenologist technique. The data fact “Everyone who commits obscene acts with other people of the same sex to person over 18 years old shall be convicted of the same criminal offenses if they use violence or threat of violence; violating public decency; publish; or contain pornographic elements”(note: the same sex, no violence or threat, no infringement,…., no pornography, is punished?) Language segment found in media was judged as (i) need to be reviewed, (ii) has pseudo certainty, (iii) open less satisfied opportunity, (iv) cause biased, and (v) lead injustice. Statements used in media that cause disgraceful behavior were not found. The modes of language use in media are intended to (i) give lessons, (ii) change behavior so that it does not violate the law, and (iii) fix reputation. Regarding the form, content, and mode formulated in media, it is suggested that statements must (i) be arranged in complete and flawless sentences, (ii) contain messages that cannot be refuted by anyone, and (iii) easily understood by anyone, not only law enforcers.

MEDIA COVERAGE ON DISASTERS – THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

This conceptual paper has two main objectives. First, to shed light on the previous studies done in the field of applied linguistics exploring the skilful use of language by media and the role it plays in societies. Second, it draws the attention on the lack of language studies on man-made disasters represented by those calamitous events other than natural disasters such as the tragedies of the 11 th of September, the crash of the Malaysian Hospitality Flight (MH17) and the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370). This gap is represented by two observations. First, in most of the studies done, man-made disasters were approached from other perspectives than language. Most of the studies were from political, technical or administrative perspectives. Second, the few studies done from language perspective had not covered the many sides of language use in media. Thus, unlike the studies on natural disasters, there is a lack of study that used various methodologies and lack of in-depth studies addressing significant issues related to the language use in the media. This paper identifies the gap and invites researchers and scholars to bridge this gap by widening the range of research to cover other characteristics of media language like the media-audience relation, the power of language represented by influencing the perception of people, the impact of authority on media and the difference between local and international media in relation to the area of the disaster.

The Implications of Social Media Language Use—A Case Study of Students From Akwa Ibom State Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

The Implications of Social Media Language Use—A Case Study of Students From Akwa Ibom State Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Lexico-grammatical stance in Spanish news reportage

The small South American country of Ecuador has recently come to international attention for perceived threats to journalistic freedom: first a major defamation lawsuit againstEl Universo(filed in March 2011) for unfounded criticisms of President Correa, and more recently passage of a highly controversial law of communications in June, 2013. Due to these developments, there is reason to believe that media reportage in Ecuador will currently be highly circumspect in the expression of opinions and evaluations, discourse functions that have been investigated under the umbrella of ‘stance’ in previous linguistic investigations. However, the situation of media language use in Ecuador is further interesting in that there are both government newspapers as well as privately owned newspapers competing on the open market. Presumably these different newspapers will not be affected in the same ways by the legal actions of the last few years.To investigate that possibility, the present study documents the lexico-grammatical expression of stance in a large corpus of Ecuadorian newspaper reportage, comparing and contrasting the expression of stance in two major newspapers:El Telégrafo, controlled by the government, andEl Comercio, a privately owned outlet. The study focuses on two major types of lexico-grammatical features used to express stance:que-complement clauses and adverbials. Although the two newspapers are quite similar in the devices preferred for the expression of stance, the analysis also identifies systematic patterns of difference. Surprisingly, the results show that it is the government-controlled newspaper that consistently expresses stance to a greater extent than the privately-owned paper. These results are interpreted relative to the recent legal events in Ecuador, perhaps indicating increased scrutiny of media reportage in the private sector than in the public sector.

New Media Language Use and “Bridging Activities”: Implications for Plurilingual Life in a (Partially) Digital World

This article described a broad research program examining on-line communication and gaming as settings for second language (L2) use and development. The text begins by contextualizing communication technology use within broader demographic, historical, and sociocultural perspectives. Two examples of online interaction are then explored: (1) A case of Internet-mediated intercultural communication that largely occurred outside of instructed L2 classroom settings, and (2) a case study of multi-lingual transcultural communicative activity occurring in the massively multiplayer online game, World of Warcraft, The final section of the article describes a pedagogical framework designed to increase the relevance of instructed foreign language education through the structured juxtaposition of various vernacular digital and more formal analogue genres of language use, an approach I am terming bridging activities. In conclusion, an argument is made for continued exploration of new media genres of language use and their selective inclusion into instructed L2 pedagogy, processes, and curricula.

Race and Media Coverage of Hurricane Katrina: Analysis, Implications, and Future Research Questions

We analyze three aspects of media depictions of Hurricane Katrina, focusing on the relationship between race and coverage of the crisis. Examination of media language use explores the debate surrounding the terms “refugees” and “evacuees”—as well as descriptions of “looting” versus “finding food”—in light of the predominantly Black demographic of the survivors in New Orleans. Assessment of the story angle indicates a disproportionate media tendency to associate Blacks with crime and violence, a propensity consistent with exaggerated and inaccurate reports regarding criminal activity in Katrina's aftermath. A review of new media sources such as mass e‐mails identifies stereotypical depictions of storm survivors that both converge and diverge from coverage found in more traditional media outlets. Psychological explanations, implications for public attitudes and behavior, and future research questions are explored.