Introduction to Interpretation of Publicistic Text

Plan:1. Functional Style: definition2. Galperin’s classification of Functional Styles. Remarks3. Sub-styles of Publicistic Style 4. Peculiarities of Publicistic Style5. Peculiarities of Oratory & Speeches 6. Peculiarities of Essays7. Peculiarities of Feature Articles8. Types of Feature Articles9. Sub-styles of Newspaper Style10. Elements of an Article11. What is the difference between a Feature Article and an Editorial?12. What is the difference between a Feature Article and a News Article?13. Types of newspapers

1. FUNCTIONAL STYLE (FS): DEFINITIONS

• The phenomenon was thoroughly studied by Russian scholars I.R. Galperin, I.V. Arnold, M.D. Kuznets, Y.S. Stepanov and others.

• Galperin: Functional style of language is a system of interrelated language means which serves a definite aim in communication.

• Arnold: Functional style is a subsystem of language which possesses specific lexical, syntactical, sometimes phonetic features characteristic of a particular sphere of communication.

E.g. Scientific prose FS – intellective function; Publicistic FS – persuasion and emotional impact.

2. Galperin’s Classification of FSsI. Belles-Lettres Style (стиль художественной литературы).1. The language of poetry; 2. Emotive prose; 3. Drama.II. Publicist Style (публицистический стиль).1. Oratory and Speeches; 2. The Essay (moral, philosophical;,

literary) 3. Feature articles (political, social, economic) in magazines and newspapers.

III. Newspaper Style (газетный стиль).1. Brief News Items (fapte diverse); 2. Headlines (titluri); 3.

Advertisements (anunt publicitar) and Announcements (anunturi); 4. The Editorial (articole de fond/editorial).

IV. Scientific Prose (стиль научной прозы).V. Official Documents (стиль официальных документов).The language of business, legal, diplomatic and military documents.

2. Galperin’s Classification of FSs (continuation)

• Most of the FSs included in the classification belong to WRITING as only in this form of human intercourse communication can be completely unambiguous.

• Each style is characterized by a number of individual features which can be leading or subordinate, constant or changing, obligatory or optional.

• Each style can be subdivided into substyles. Substyles retain the most characteristic features of the root style, although they can differ dramatically from it.

• FS is a historical category as it changes with time, but at the given stage it represents a relatively stable system.

Remarks

• Some linguists consider that newspaper articles (including feature articles) should be classed under the functional style of newspaper language, not under the language of publicist literature.

• The boundaries between FSs sometimes become less and less discernible. Thus, for instance, the signs of difference are sometimes almost imperceptible between newspaper FS and publicist FS

3. Sub-styles of Publicist Style

1. Oratory and Speeches; 2. Essay (moral, philosophical, literary);3. Feature Articles (political, social, economic)

in magazines and newspapers.The development of radio and television has brought into being another new spoken variety namely4. the Radio and TV Commentary.

4. Peculiarities of Publicist Style

• separate style in the middle of the 18th century.

• general aim: brain-washing effect :- to exert constant and deep influence on public

opinion;- to convince the reader;- to force the reader to accept the

journalist’s/speaker’s point of view;• logical argumentation + emotional appeal

4. Peculiarities of Publicist Style(continuation)

Publicist style in general is characterized bу the following features:1. Coherent and logical syntactical structure of the text;2. Expanded system of connectives;З. Careful paragraphing;4. Ample use of the words with emotive meaning;5. Wide use of imagery, but the stylistic devices used in publicist style аге not fresh and genuine.6. Brevity of expression. In essays brevity sometimes becomes epigrammatic (concise, clever, and amusing).

5. Peculiarities of Oratory & Speeches

• Direct address to the audience (e.g.: ladies and gentlemen, honorable member(s));• The use of the 2nd person pronoun (уоu, etc.);• Sometimes contractions are introduced (I’ll, won’t, haven’t, isn’t and others)• The use of colloquial words.• The use of ready-made phrases оr clichés, especially in orations оn solemn public occasions;• Stylistic devices (parallel constructions, antithesis, suspense, climax, rhetorical questions and

questions-in-the-narrative) аге closely interwoven and mutually complementary thus building up аn intricate pattern;

The most typical stylistic device of English oratorical style is repetition which enables the listeners to follow the speaker and retain the main points of his speech; it is meant to convince the audience and to add weight to the speaker's opinion. Similes and metaphors аrе generally traditional, as fresh and genuine stylistic devices mау divert the attention of the listeners away from the main point of the speech;• Special obligatory, forms ореn up and end аn oration, e.g. Му Lords; Мr. President; Мr. Chairman;

Yоиr Worship; Ladies and Gentlemen, etc. At the end of his speech the speaker usually thanks the audience for their attention bу saying: Thank уои оr Thank уои very much.

• Expressions of direct address, e.g. dear friends, ту friends, Mark уои!, Mind! This style is evident in speeches оn political and social problems of the day, in orations and addresses оn solemn occasions, as public weddings, funerals and jubilees, in sermons and debates and also in the speeches of counsel and judges in courts of law.

6. Peculiarities of Essays

• Essay - а literary composition of moderate length оn philosophical, social, aesthetic оr literary subjects.

• It never goes deep into the subject, but merely touches upon the surface.

• Аn essay is rather а series of personal and witty comments than а finished argument оr а conclusive examination of аnу matter.

6. Peculiarities of Essays(continuation)

• The most obvious characteristics of the essay аrе the following:• 1. Personality in the treatment of theme;• 2. Naturalness of expression;• 3. Brevity of expression; • 4. The use of the first person singular, which justifies а personal

approach to the problems treated;• 5. А rather expanded use of connectives, which facilitate the process

of grasping the correlation of ideas;• 6. The abundant use of emotive words;• 7. The use of similes metaphors, epigrams, paradoxes and

aphorisms.Some essays, depending on the writer’s individuality, are written in а highly emotional manner resembling the style of emotive prose, others resemble scientific prose.

7. Peculiarities of Feature Articles

• All the above-mentioned features are applicable to the feature articles.• The character of the magazine as well as the subject chosen affects the

choice and use of stylistic devices: popular scientific article – few words of emotive meaning, a

consistent exposition and an expanded system of connectives; political magazine articles - rаrе, bookish and high-flown words

(e.g. ambivaleпt, exhilarated, apalled, etc); neologisms (which sometimes require explanation in the text); traditional word-combinations and parenthesis; emphatic constructions of different kinds (e.g.: 'how dim the outlook for Victory was', 'Stevenson is anything but аn irresponsible mаn', 'it could well have bееn, though', 'he is at оnce exhilarated and appalled'.

literary reviews - abstract words of logical meaning, emotional language

8. Types of Feature ArticlesIn The Universal Journalist, David Randall (British journalist and author of The Universal Journalist, a textbook on journalism) suggests the following categories of feature:• Color piece - Describing a scene and throw light on its theme(s). • Fly on the wall - The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on

a wall might see them.• Behind the scenes - Similar to the above, but with the journalist a part of events. • In disguise - Pretending to be another person • Interview - A conversation between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee)

where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. • Profile - An examination of a particular person. Will often include an interview. • Factbox / Chronology - A simple list of facts, perhaps in date order. • Backgrounder / A history of - An extended factbox. • Full texts - Extracts from books or transcripts of interviews. • My testimony - A first-person report of some kind. • Analysis - An examination of the reasons behind an event. • Vox pop/ Expert roundup - A selection of views from members of the public or experts. • Opinion poll - a survey of public opinion. • Review - an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service.

8. Types of Feature Articles(continuation)

Tipologia feature-ului• profiluri: un profil este un portret în cuvinte; ca și un portret bun, profilul trebuie să surprindă caracterul,

spiritul și stilul subiectului; reporterii trebuie să pătrundă dincolo de suprafață, să afle ce ii motivează pe oameni, ce îi incită, ce îi face interesanți; un bun profil nu trebuie să se limiteze la a descrie viața personajului, trebuie să conțină citate relevante, să descrie subiectul și mediul în care trăiește.

• articole de culoare: articolele de culoare sunt cunoscute și sub numele de sidebars, ele sunt articole care abordează în detaliu un anumit aspect al subiectului.

• articole de context: aceasta furnizează cititorului date și informații care ajută la înțelegerea contextului în care se petrece un anume eveniment.

• Stiri-feature: principala caracteristică ce deosebește o știre-feature de o știre propriu-zisă este faptul ca prima se referă la un fenomen, o situație, o stare de fapt, un curent, mai degrabă decât la un eveniment anume.

• articole de interes uman: se referă la articole care vorbesc despre un anumit episod din viața oamenilor; un astfel de articol poate să abordeze cazul unui copil ce a pornit într-un marș de 160 km ca să strângă bani pentru o fundație umanitară.

• articole amuzante: au rolul de a contrabalansa numărul mare de știri solemne, dramatice; să scrii cu umor este un exercițiu dificil, care cere talent si experiență.

• aventuri (adventure stories): descrie o experiență deosebită a unei persoane; poate fi vorba despre aventura unei persoane care a supraviețuit prăbușirii unui avion.

• articole de calendar: astfel de materiale se mai numesc „de sezon”, având ca subiect aniversări și zile deosebite, precum Craciunul, Paștele, Mărțișorul, prima zi a unui anotimp.

• articole explicative: se referă la aproape orice subiect de interes larg; se mai numesc de situație sau de interpretare; ele aduc explicații.

• articole utilitare și educative(how-to-do-it- stories): spun cititorilor ce anume trebuie să facă pentru un anumit scop.

9. Sub-styles of Newspaper Style

1) News articles (articles purely informational in character);2) Columns (daily articles giving opinions or perspectives); 3) Editorials (article giving a newspaper’s opinion on a news

story);4) Press reports (parliamentary, of court proceedings, etc.);5) Brief News Items (fapte diverse);6) Headlines (titluri);7) Agony Columns (letter page)(offering advice on personal

problems to readers who write in); 8) Advertisements and Announcements (births, obituary,

appointments, weddings, engagements, etc.)

10. Elements of an Article1. Headline - is text at the top of a newspaper article, indicating the nature of the article. The headline catches the

attention of the reader and relates well to the topic. Modern headlines are typically written in an abbreviated style omitting many elements of a complete sentence but almost always including a non-copula verb.

2. Byline - gives the name and often the position of the writer.3. Lead sentence (opening) - captures the attention of the reader and sums up the focus of the story. The lead also

establishes the subject, sets the tone and guides reader into the article. In a news story, the introductory paragraph tells the most important facts and answers the questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. In a featured story, the author may choose to open in any number of ways, including the following: an anecdote, a shocking or startling statement, a generalization, pure information, a description, a quote, a question, a comparison (narrative hooks).

4. Body - For the news story, details and elaboration are evident in the body of the news story and flow smoothly from the lead. Quotes are used to add interest and support to the story. The inverted pyramid is used with most news stories. A featured article will follow a format appropriate for its type. Structures for featured articles may include, but are not limited to:

chronological — the article may be a narrative of some sort. cause and effect — the reasons and results of an event or process are examined. classification — items in an article are grouped to help aid understanding compare and contrast — two or more items are examined side-by-side to see their similarities and differences list — A simple item-by-item run-down of pieces of information. question and answer — such as an interview with a celebrity or expert.

• Conclusion - One difference between a news story and a featured article is the conclusion. Endings for a hard news article occur when all of the information has been presented according to the inverted pyramid form. By contrast, the featured article needs more definite closure. The conclusions for these articles may include, but are not limited to: a final quote a descriptive scene a play on the title or lead a summary statement.

11. What is the difference between a Feature Article and an Editorial?

Feature Article (FA) Editorial (E)

• FA highlights an interesting aspect of human life (e.g. a cancer survivor; someone who has climbed Mount Everest, etc).

• This doesn’t have to be a human interest story.

• The story is meant to catch the reader’s attention.

• E is of intellectual nature, has numerical facts or quotes.

12. What is the difference between a Feature Article and a News Article?

Feature Article (FA) News Article (NA)

FA has a smaller creative story leading in to the main story that article addresses. It has quotes and endures picture and a big heading. FA is much more creative, flashy and noticeable.

NA is where the journalist discuss about what happened and what people said and then the journalist add a conclusion.

13. Types of newspapersBroadsheets (“qualities”) Tabloids (“populars”)

• B focus more on real news • T focus more on sensations

• B have a full, broad format • T have a smaller format (half broadsheet size)

• B include long, information articles and editorial comments and comparatively few illustrations

• T include larger headlines, lots of photos and short articles

• aim: to provide readers with comprehensive coverage and analysis of the international and national news of the day

• aim: to entertain rather than to inform, the emphasis being on sensational scandals, violent crimes, the royal family, glamorous people, soap operas, ‘showbiz’ gossip, sport.

• B use a formal, serious tone, a wide vocabulary and standard English.

• T use simple language, though sometimes cryptic for foreigners because of their use of slang and word play.

• The best-selling B are The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, The Independent

• The best-selling T are The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express