Stylistic Features and Prominent Devices in British Political Televised Media Interviews
محورهای موضوعی : 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
کلید واژه: Persuasion, Political Interviews, Stylistic Features, Rhetorical Devices, Public Perception.,
چکیده مقاله :
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.
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.
Charteris-Black, J. (2018). Analyzing political speeches: Rhetoric, discourse, and metaphor. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Fairclough, N. (2018). Language and power (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Hudson, R. A. (2021). Rhetorical and stylistic approaches to political interviews. Journal of Discourse Studies, 19(2), 143–158.
Jeffries, L. (2017). Critical stylistics: The power of English. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. (2016). The all-new don’t think of an elephant! Know your values and frame the debate. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Leech, G., & Short, M. (2007). Style in fiction: A linguistic introduction to English fictional prose (2nd ed.). London: Pearson Education.
Molek-Kozakowska, K. (2020). Discourse and politics: Interdisciplinary perspectives. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
Simpson, P. (2004). Stylistics: A resource book for students. New York: Routledge.
Stetsyk, Y. (2018). Political interviews as a genre of media discourse. Journal of Linguistic Studies, 14(3), 112–127.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2021). Discourse and context: A socio-cognitive approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
