The document discusses the language used in recent news stories and how it shapes perceptions. It notes that media studies could benefit from a pragmatic linguistic perspective when analyzing trends like sensationalism. It also discusses how language provides ideological choices for speakers and how linguistic choices in news stories influence how audiences view events. Finally, it examines how news outlets compete for attention by making stories appear urgent or unusual.

1. The language used in several
recent news stories

2. 
“…the pragma-linguistic perspective seems to
be missing from the methodological scope of
media studies scholarship into such trends in
news media as sensationalism. Media studies is
often oriented towards a cultural critique of the
results of corporate influence, technological
advancements and political pressures on
media industry”. (Kozakowska, 2013)

3. 

“…language provides speakers with
choice, which is the basis of it being a
bearer of ideology (Hasan, 1996a).
“…linguistic choices in news discourse
have consequences for the ways news
consumers come to view a certain set of
historical conditions”. (Lukin, 2012)

4. 

“We use language not only to shape reality, but
to defend that reality against anyone whose
alternative values might threaten ours”
(Hasan, 1996b: 34)
“In the media, information is not a passive
resource waiting to be searched for and
accessed. It is always in competition for
people’s attention with other information’”
(Durant and Lambrou, 2009: 28).

5. 
“Issues that involve conflict or negativity and
concern elite persons and powerful
organizations or countries are more likely to be
covered. News that attracts the most interest
should be unexpected, and yet ‘temporally
bounded (…), unambiguous and clear-cut
rather than cloudy and complex’ ”
(Montgomery, 2007: 9).

6. 

“News outlets, which compete for audience
attention to secure their profits from
advertising, try to make their information
appear relevant, urgent or unusual…”
(Kozakowska, 2013)
“Categorising ‘others’ implies building up
conceptual oppositions and polarities,
embodied by pairs of terms that define one’s
group in contrast with another and that project
people’s prejudices and values”.
(Tenorio,2010)

7. 

“A critical approach is particularly
important if the hidden elements work to
control people’s minds or perpetuate
social inequalities” (Van Dijk, 1993).
“…trying to become good in your
audience’s eyes by speaking ill of your
‘antagonists’ may show your own evil
nature too”. (Tenorio, 2010)

8. 
“…criticism is not to be thought of as
outright condemnation or rejection, but
rather as an attempt at interrogating the
categories and mechanisms that usually
escape notice without deeper analytic
insight and reflection”. (Kozakowska,
2013)

9. 
Narrative (Political correctness)
- Why is it that our very politically correct
American culture detests derogatory and
dehumanizing words but so liberally
uses the term “retard”? Have you ever
noticed that? (Webpronews.com)

10. 
Classification (Who gets to speak?)
Coke:
- “We are certainly very apologetic for
this oversight.”
- “We didn’t mean to offend at all.”

11. Loates family:
- “We immediately thought ‘You have got to be kidding me’
- “My dad had taught our family what an awful word the ‘r-word’ is.
So he was really upset about this.”
- “You see, the “R” word is considered a swear word in our family.
We don’t use it. We don’t tolerate others using it around us. We
ARE over-sensitive but you would be too if you had Fiona for a
daughter!”
- “Coke told us they reviewed the words before the contest, so
we’re still a bit confused about why, after sitting down and looking
at the word list, they would decide to keep it. Its English meaning
is offensive and they should have realized that,”
- The lengthy letter of complaint the Loates has written to coke
was included.

12. Coke:
- “We are certainly very apologetic for
this oversight.”
- “We didn’t mean to offend at all.”
(Webpronews.com)

13.  Headlines
- Edmonton woman receives apology from
Coca-Cola for offensive wording on bottle
lid (Global News)
- Coca-Cola Apologizes for Offensive Bottle
Cap (ABC)
- Coca-Cola 'YOU RETARD' Bottle Cap
Forces Company To Apologize To Edmonton
Family (Huffington Post)
- Coca-Cola Prints “YOU RETARD” Under
Bottlecap (Webpronews.com)

14.  Metonym
- On Wednesday, Coca-Cola contacted the
family and explained that the bottle cap was
part of a contest. Apparently, Vitamin
Water is randomly printing out one English
word and one French word on the bottom of
their caps. (Webpronews.com)
- Coca-Cola says it has cancelled the
promotion and will destroy all of the caps
with words printed on them. (Global News)

15.  Narrative (Inverted triangle)
1.A 3-year-old boy who was among 13 people wounded
in a late-night attack on a southwest Chicago park was
alert ….
2. The child's uncle,…told the Chicago Sun-Times that
dreadlocked men in a gray sedan shot at him Thursday
night...
3.Police officials declined to discuss details of the
investigation.
4.Chicago's police superintendent has said that overall
violence is down so far this year compared to 2012,…
5.Corey Brooks, a pastor at New Beginnings Church,
spoke with family members …said the boy was resting
with his mother. (Fox News)

16. Headlines
- Toddler among 13 wounded in Chicago
gang shooting (AFP)
- Toddler among 13 shot in Chicago park
(New York Post)
- 13 wounded, including 3-year-old boy,
in shooting at Chicago park (Fox News)
- Chicago park shooting leaves boy and
others wounded (BBC)

17. Nominalization
- Chicago park shooting leaves boy and
others wounded (AFP)
- The bloodshed Thursday night
apparently came in a drive-by shooting
targeting people playing basketball, the
Chicago Tribune reported. (AFP)

18. Metonym
- The bloodshed Thursday night
apparently came in a drive-by shooting
targeting people playing basketball, the
Chicago Tribune reported. (AFP)
- In 2012, the Windy City saw 506 murders,
compared with 419 in New York, according
to a report this week by the FBI. (BBC)

19. Passive Voice/Agency
- Twelve people are injured after being shot at a
park on Chicago's southwest side, including a 3-yearold boy who is in critical condition. (Fox News)
- Many of the victims -- most in their teens, 20s and
30s -- were shot in the arms, legs or feet. (AFP News)
- Police spokesman Ron Gaines said no arrests had
been made so far.(BBC)
- One Chicago murder this …was that of Hadiya
Pendleton, 15. She was killed at a park just days after
performing at a January presidential inauguration ....
(BBC)
- Authorities said no one had been taken into custody
in connection with the shooting. (The Guardian)

20. Lexical
Mapping
Assailants:
violent, bloodshed, murder, ravaging,
Senseless, brazen, betray, retaliation
Authorities:
crackdown, brave, (bring to ) justice

21. Register
Al Shabaab, which has links to al
Qaeda and is battling Kenyan and
other African peacekeepers in
Somalia, had repeatedly threatened
attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did
not pull its troops out of the Horn of
Africa country. (Reuters)

22. 
Classification (Who gets to speak?)
The al-Qaida linked Somali Islamist militant group alShabaab has not formally claimed responsibility for the
attack, but used it's official Twitter …to describe the
killings as "a very tiny fraction of what Muslims in
Somalia experience at the hands of Kenyan invaders".
The group also accused the Kenyan government of
continuing to "massacre innocent Muslims in Somalia",
a reference to Kenyan troops being sent into Somalia in
2011 in order to fight al-Shabaab. (The Guardian)

23.  Headlines
- Gunmen Kill Dozens in Terror Attack at
Kenyan Mall (New York Times)
- Islamists claim gun attack on Nairobi
mall, at least 39 dead (Reuters)

24. 
Lexical Mapping
Assailants:
terrorism, executing, unspeakable evil,
heartbreaking, revenge, cowards, mayhem,
carnage, harsh, brutal, behead civilians, bury
teenage girls and stone them to death
Victims:
terrified, soaking in their own blood
(New York Times)

25.  Metonym
- France said two of its citizens were dead, the
U.S. State Department said it had reports that
American citizens had been injured, and Britain
said its nationals had undoubtedly been
affected. (Reuters)

26. 
Narrative (Inverted triangle)
1. It seems Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” music … not
only caused parents to roll their eyes, but became a
potential safety hazard for college students.
2. On Tuesday, administrators at the Grand Valley State
University in Michigan removed a wrecking ball
sculpture ....
3.According to an online statement issued by the
university, students recently began climbing on the
pendulum art piece, causing its cable to fray.
4. The sculpture – which hangs from a 15-foot steel cable
– was installed in the Kirkhof Center in 1974, where it
hung for six years…. (Fox News)

27. 
Register
- Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" video…has
sparked controversy in Western Michigan, but
it's not because the culture police are after
her, nor is it due to demolition workers
feeling that their trade is being inaccurately
portrayed. (Complex.com)
- Miley Cyrus’s risqué twerking, tongue flashing
and foam finger dancing called into question
what kind of role model she is for the tweens
who loved her as “Hannah Montana,” ... (ABC)

28. 
Register (Cont.)
- The Twitter hashtags to come out of all this?
(LA Times)
- I think your #YOLO joke goes *here*.
(Philly.com)
- What kind of antics, you ask? Well, like this
naked male student swinging on the ball
(obviously NSFW, folks) (Breakingnews.ie)
- Her weapon of mass twerkstruction was a
wrecking ball (E!online.com)

29. 
Headlines
- Students Protest Right To Re-enact Miley's "Wrecking
Ball" Video After College Removes Pendulum Statue
(Complex.com)
- Michigan University Removes Sculpture After Naked
Students Imitate Miley Cyrus (ABC)
- University removes sculpture as naked students reenact 'Wrecking Ball' (Breakingnews.ie)
- School Removes Wrecking Ball After Students Imitate
Miley (Time)
- Mich. sculpture gone after naked students mimic Miley
Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’ video (NY Dailynews)
- University removes ‘wrecking ball’ sculpture over
naked Miley Cyrus video tributes (Metro.co.uk)

30. 
Headlines (Cont.)
- GVSU 'Wrecking Ball' Miley Cyrus Parodies Halted
After Sculpture Removed (Huffington Post)
- Miley Cyrus' Naked Ball-Riding Sparks Stunts And
Student Uprising (MTV)
- Miley Cyrus video prompts removal of sculpture at
Michigan college (LA Times)
- Grand Valley State University forced to remove
campus wrecking ball sculpture due to Miley Cyrus
parodies (Fox News)
- Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking Ball’ Video Ruins University
Statue After Kids Start Riding It Nude (Vulture.com)
- Grand Valley State University has to remove wrecking
ball statue because of Miley Cyrus (Philly.com)

31. 
Metaphor
- Just think of all the poor teddy bears who have been
exploited in the name of her (Philly.com)

Transtivity
- Miley Cyrus video prompts removal of sculpture at
Michigan college (LA Times)

32. 
Metonym
- University removes ‘wrecking ball’ sculpture
over naked Miley Cyrus video tributes
(Metro.co.uk)
- Michigan University Removes Sculpture
After Naked Students Imitate Miley Cyrus (ABC)
- Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking Ball’ Video Ruins
University Statue After Kids Start Riding It
Nude (Vulture.com)

33. 
Removing agency
- Grand Valley State University forced to remove
campus wrecking ball sculpture due to Miley Cyrus
parodies (Fox News)
- An American university has been forced to remove a
campus sculpture of a ‘wrecking ball’ for safety
reasons…(Metro.co.uk)

34. 
Lexical Mapping
Students:
thrill-seeking, protest, complain, morons, nude, illicit,
pranks, give chuckles, parodies, simply “college
students being college students.", cheeky
Miley Cyrus:
Hammer-licking, nude, forced your young children to
watch her use "a foam finger like a dildo and lick the
butt of a stuff bear", infamous, racy
Facilities Service:
Take action, worried, safety
,