JoLIE 15:4/2022

 

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DOMINANT PROCEDURES OF CORONAVIRUS CONCEPTUALISATION IN JOURNALISTIC DISCOURSE

 

 

Vera Ćevriz Nišić A green circle with white letters AI-generated content may be incorrect.

University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Ognjen Kurteš A green circle with white letters AI-generated content may be incorrect.

University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

 

 

Abstract

 

This paper examines the sociolinguistic characteristics of media reports on the coronavirus pandemic, focusing on how the crisis has shaped and been shaped by the language used in public discourse. In particular, it explores how media outlets in the former Yugoslavia have framed the pandemic through various linguistic mechanisms, with an emphasis on metaphorical language. The research corpus consists of electronic newspaper articles from prominent media houses in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia, covering the period from February to December 2020. The analysis adopts a sociolinguistic approach, specifically a discourse analysis framework, to investigate the language used in newspaper headlines during this period. By linking linguistic patterns to local spatial factors and public reactions, the paper identifies key trends in how the pandemic was framed, including the role of metaphor in constructing collective understanding. The study highlights the dominance of war metaphors in shaping the public's perception of the virus, as well as the ways in which media outlets used framing to either complement or suppress particular narratives, such as the political response to the pandemic. Additionally, the paper explores how the use of negative and sensationalist language in media reports contributed to societal anxiety, illustrating how the framing of the crisis can influence public attitudes and behaviours. Through this analysis, the paper seeks to understand the broader implications of linguistic framing in times of crisis and how the media’s portrayal of events can affect both social and political dynamics.

 

Keywords: Discourse analysis; Credibility; Language framework; Media discourse; Standard language norm.

 

 

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How to cite this paper: Ćevriz Nišić, V., & Kurteš, O. (2022). Dominant procedures of coronavirus conceptualisation in journalistic discourse. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 15(4), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2022.15.4.4

 

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