Stylistic Features and Prominent Devices in British Political Televised Media Interviews

Subject Areas : Applied Linguistics

Hayfaa Hussein Ali, ¹ , Majid Asgari ² , Baydaa Faisal Noori Al-araji ³ , Bahram Hadian ⁴

1 - Department of English, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of English Teaching, Hidaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hidaj, Iran
3 - Department of English Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, Baghdad University, Iraq
4 - Department of English, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic AzadUniversity, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2024-06-05 Accepted : 2024-08-23 Published : 2024-08-30

Keywords: Persuasion, Political Interviews, Stylistic Features, Rhetorical Devices, Public Perception.,

Abstract :

This article focuses on the stylistic features and rhetorical devices used by British politicians in televised media interviews to shape the perception of their public audience and forward their individual political agendas. Within a stylistic framework based on Leech and Short's model, this study examines a corpus of interviews between 2009 and 2024, underlining language disposition strategically so as to make an impact on audience interpretation. Key findings prove the wide usage of such persuasive strategies as repetition, rhetorical question, emotive language, and metaphor, which help to reinforce the remembering of messages, appeal to the emotions, and establish credibility. The analysis also puts forward the adaptability of stylistic devices in the dynamic context of political interviews, given the importance of immediacy and audience appeal. Theoretically underpinned by approaches from stylistics and empirically nourished by political communication, this study shows how specific linguistic choices take part in framing the political narrative of British media. The present research contributes to the two cognate fields of critical discourse studies and stylistics by covering the important gaps in the application of stylistic analysis to political interviews, especially those concerning the British context. These findings have important implications for educators, media professionals, and political advisors by providing tools with which to critically assess and hone political messaging. This research furthers an understanding of the interplay among language, persuasion, and democratic engagement in contemporary political discourse.

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