THE IMAGE OF TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED KHERSON IN THE ANGLOPHONE MEDIA
Abstract
The paper represents the authors’ attempt to describe and organize the basic linguistic tools used by the Anglophone media to create the image of temporarily occupied Kherson. To that end, the authors define the concept of “media image” and analyze the entirety of the linguistic means used to create the image of the city. In this context they take into account the criterion of “news value”, which is a leading style forming factor in the modern media texts. The topicality of the chosen study direction is determined by the need to carry out a critical linguistic analysis of the information provided in the media and to oppose manipulations that influence the reader and create their predetermined emotional response. Case study of the internet publications of The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Economist dated after February 24, 2022, enabled the authors to explore and analyze the linguistic means of creating the image of the occupied city and the emotional impression of it. As the outcome of the study, the paper represents the media image of temporarily occupied Kherson as a complex formation consisting of the components as follows: the urban objects, the city as a military strategic target, the occupation troops in the city, the city residents (their needs, protest against occupation, psychological condition). At the language level, all these components of Kherson media image are verbalized by direct naming units including denotative and connotative ones, and metaphorical naming units. The denotative naming units contain proper names (toponyms and urbanonyms), as well as general neutral and emotionally colored units. The emotionally colored naming units are used more often than the neutral ones because of their ability to influence the reader. The metaphorical naming units as a component of the media image of temporarily occupied Kherson are implemented by means of comparison, hyperbole and antithesis. The metaphorical component in the media image of temporarily occupied Kherson is relatively insignificant, which is explained by the requirements for the style of the internet news reports.
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