Transformation from Political towards Media Discourse in Bulgaria: New Words and Expressive Collocations ̶ Irina Garkova
Irina Garkova
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
E-mail: irinagrekov@abv.bg
Abstract: The study is focused the process of coining new words and new meaning of words in the language of the media through of politicians’ and public figures’ language. The hypothesis is that the changes of political discourse are reflected in the language used in the media, mainly through political jargon, which we find in titles and articles. The aim of the study is to investigate the transformation from political towards media discourse and the word formation means. These have an impact on creating differences and washing away the boundaries between political and media lexis.
The new, post-1989, journalistic expression, is attractive and free of some ideologemes, totalitarian clichés and pompous slogans. It outpaces politicians’ linguistic liberation. Prominent public figures take the initiatives in this field, during the decade that followed. Through their messages, they bring more expressiveness and spontaneousness in public communication. The results of the study demonstrate that, through media projection, scores of new words and collocations become part of reporters’ and editors’ language. Thus, some words become part of the canonical lexical structure, making it more diverse, nonhomogeneous and different from the traditional. The theme of otherness is explored in the Bulgarian media and political context, identifying manifestations at the linguistic and communicative levels. Politicians increasingly use expressive words and mix them with ideologeme that are part of political rhetoric. The media disseminate these expressive words and the informative function shifts. Thus, heterogeneity at the linguistic level creates grounds to speak of a political and media rhetoric of otherness.
Keywords: political discourse, media discourse, media text, derivation, linguistic expressions, vocabulary.
Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 50, January 2022