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Linguistic agency assignment in The Star online headlines on COVID-19

Jafri, Fakhira and Ariffin, Adlina (2021) Linguistic agency assignment in The Star online headlines on COVID-19. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 27 (4). pp. 29-41. ISSN 0128-5157 E-ISSN 2550-2247

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Abstract

The media coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic has caused emotional distress among people. This calls for a close scrutiny of health-related information on COVID-19 disseminated via news headlines. It is essential to determine which context – risk, prevention, or treatment – needs to be emphasised in covering news related to a pandemic and whether such reporting leads to public health scare or health consciousness. This paper discusses a study which investigated this issue by adopting Linguistic Agency Assignment as the framework in analysing COVID-19 related news headlines of a Malaysian mainstream news outlet, The Star Online. Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) was used to examine whether the writings induced fear or created awareness among the public. Findings of the thematic and textual analysis of a corpus of news headlines revealed that the Malaysian mainstream newspaper often disseminated prevention-themed messages related to COVID-19, used more human agency language, and induced fear in the audience, while at the same time, delivered a high level of COVID-19 awareness to readers.

Item Type: Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords: : linguistic agency assignment; linguistic strategies; online news headlines; Extended Parallel Process Model; COVID-19
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) > H61.8 Communication of information
H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) > H62 Study and teaching. Research
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of English Language & Literature
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Depositing User: AP Dr Adlina Ariffin
Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2021 16:19
Last Modified: 07 Jan 2022 08:37
URI: http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/94527

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