Media linguistics is the linguistic study of media speech. It studies the functioning of language in the media sphere, or the modern mass communication presented by print, audiovisual and networked media.
Contents
Media linguistics is being formed in the process of differentiation of linguistics as a general theory of language, and its term turned out to be in line with psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, developmental linguistics, legal linguistics, political linguistics, etc.
The object of media linguistics
Modern media linguistics examines not only the language of media, but also media speech. Media linguistics includes such discipline as media speech studies that examines (1) the speech behavior of mass communication participants and (2) specific areas, textures and genres of media texts.
Thus, in principle, media linguistics seeks to explain the particular case of the functioning of language — in mass communications with its complex structure and diverse trends of change — amid the overall trends of language and speech culture. Media linguistics is closely related to the contemporary media practices and intends to impact on them, in particular, by means of media education.