News as Discourse; Representation or Reflection, Persuasive Intentions and News Style

The theoretical framework of this article is taken from Teun A. Van Dijk; News as Discourse, where analysis discourse is not seen as simply a method for news analysis but rather news texts are studied as a specific type of communicative and discursive act, in a wider social and ideological contexts. Van Dijk believes that while news texts use the conventional news style and language, they follow certain persuasive intentions by employing specific rhetorical devices. In social interactions also conventional and appropriate style is used along rhetorical devices to gain specific persuasive intentions. Journalists also have to comply with conventional news style and language to gain legitimacy and persuade their readers about their professional integrity and "news objectivity". But at the same time according to major dominant social and political perceptions journalists use certain rhetorical devices to gain specific persuasive intentions. Therefore some kind of balanced presentation and the usual news language is employed while persuasive intentions are also fulfilled by using implicit textual devices. This article argues that if social agreement in a given society or social situation is very high, the perception of journalist coincides that of all social actors involved in such interactions or news events. But if the situation, as it is the case, most of the time, involve certain conflicting interests and perceptions, journalist are forced to in code specific persuasive intentions that are of ideological origin, while maintaining their journalistic codes of language use and news reporting style. Article by studying a situation of political conflict (just before before it was raised to such antagonistic level of war situations), shows that while France Press used conventional news style, not demonizing Sadam at that time or portraying any kind of image of enemy, delegitimized him and discursively "overthought" him by repeatedly and intentionally avoiding to mention his official credential as the "president of Iraq".