Media Language – Media Discourse

Along with visual means, language is the substance media communication consists of. Language makes up media communication in the process of producing and its products as well as in the reception of media, for instance in the linguistic communication of the communicators, as a means of reality construction in media reports, and as an object of understanding and reception. In this context, language is always an applied language – written or spoken – and can consequently be analyzed with a social science approach. The division focuses on this aspect of media communication. Scientific issues, methods, and models developed in linguistics and discourse theory are the starting point of a product-analytical perspective on media communication that wants to incorporate micro- and macro-structural views.

The members of the division group focus on different fields of research, among others the examination of journalistic modes of display, on forms of presentation like for instance narratives and their influence on the construction of reality, as well as – currently most important – social communication on the internet, in the so-called social media or in multimodal representation. The research of media language and discourse also includes an application-orientated objective: For example surveys on the writing process of journalists can be used to improve working processes, or text analysis can be relevant for media quality assurance. The division has an interface function between communication science on the one hand and media and linguistic science on the other hand. Especially with Applied Linguistics close contact is maintained. Members from the equivalent organizations in Switzerland and Austria are also active members of the division.

Chair: Dr. Katharina Christ (katharina.christ@uibk.ac.at)

Vice Chair: Dr. Christof Barth (christof.barth@uni-trier.de)