The discourses of sustainability in news magazines
The rhetorical construction of journalistic stance
Sustainability has become a key concept in the debate over global environmental challenges. With the view that at the heart of the environmental debate is undoubtedly the text, this paper examines the rhetorical construction of text and provides linguistic insights into how the concept of sustainability is textualized. Corpus findings show that the discourse of sustainability is constructed by interwoven discourses which depict sustainability as a goal, as a problem, or as an object of analysis or study and implemented by companies and institutions. The rhetorical construction of the argumentation of the discourses of sustainability further suggests that the news magazines convey a multiplicity of obvious or hidden communicative purposes. This paper critically examines how resources such as evaluation, hedging or intertextuality are used in journalistic discourse to convey the author’s stance towards sustainability, trying to position the audience and thus to shape the public awareness and acceptance of sustainability.
References (61)
Alexander, R. (2009). Framing discourse on the environment: A critical discourse approach. London: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Allen, M., Walker, K., & Brady, R. (2012). Sustainability discourse within a supply chain relationship: Mapping convergence and divergence. Journal of Business Communication, 49(3), 210–236. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Askehave, I., & Swales, J.M. (2001). Genre identification and communicative purpose: A problem and a possible solution. Applied Linguistics, 22(2), 195–212. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Baker, P., Costas, G., Khosravinik, M., Krzyzanowski, M., McEnery, T., & Wodak, R. (2008). A useful methodological synergy?: Combining corpus linguistics to examine discourses of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK press. Discourse & Society, 19(3), 273–306. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bednarek, M. (2006). Evaluation in media discourse: Analysis of a newspaper corpus. London: Continuum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bednarek, M., & Caple, H. (2010). Playing with environmental stories in the news: Good or bad practice? Discourse & Communication, 4(1), 5–31. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bednarek, M., & Caple, H. (2012). ‘Value added’: Language, image and news values. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(1), 103–113. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bell, A. (1991). The language of news media. Oxford: Blackwell.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bhatia, V.K. (1993). Analysing genre: Language use in professional settings. London: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bhatia, V.K. (2004). Worlds of written discourse: A genre-based view. London/New York: Continuum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bocking, S. (2012). Mobile knowledge and the media: The movement of scientific information in the context of environmental controversy. Public Understanding of Science, 21(6), 705–723. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Boykoff, M., & Boykoff, J. (2005). Balance as bias: Global warming and the US prestige press. Global Environmental Change, 14(2), 125–136. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Buettner, A. (2010). Climate change in the media: Climate denial, Ian Plimer, and the staging of public debate. New Zealand Journal of Media Studies, 12(1), 79–97. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Calsamiglia, H., & van Dijk, T. (2004). Popularization discourse and knowledge about the genome. Discourse & Society, 15(4), 369–389. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Carvalho, A. (2007). Ideological cultures and media discourses on scientific knowledge: Re–reading news on climate change. Public Understanding of Science, 16(2), 223–243. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Carvalho, A., & Burgess, J. (2005). Cultural circuits of climate change in U.K. broadsheet newspapers, 1985–2003. Risk Analysis, 25(6), 1457–1469. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cronin, B. (1998). Metatheorizing citation. Scientometrics, 43(1), 45–55. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Doulton, H., & Brown, K. (2008). Ten years to prevent catastrophe?: Discourses of climate change and international development in the UK press. Global Environmental Change, 19(2), 191–202. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fairclough, N. (1995). Media discourse. London: Edward Arnold.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fairclough, N. (2006). Language and globalization. London: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fløttum, K., & Dahl, T. (2012). Different contexts, different “stories”?: A linguistic comparison of two development reports on climate change. Language & Communication, 32(1), 14–23. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fowler, R. (1991). Language in the news: Discourse and ideology in the press. London: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fuoli, M. (2012). Assessing social responsibility: A quantitative analysis of Appraisal in BP’s and IKEA’s social reports. Discourse & Communication, 6(1), 55–81. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gamson, W., & Modigliani, A. (1989). Media discourse and public opinion on nuclear power: A constructionist approach. American Journal of Sociology, 95(1), 1–37. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Grundmann R., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2010). The discourse of climate change: A corpus-based approach. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines, 4(2), 125–146.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Higgins, C., & Walker, R. (2012).
Ethos, logos, pathos: Strategies of persuasion in social/environmental reports. Accounting Forum, 36(3), 194–208. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hoey, M. (2005). Lexical priming: A new theory of words and language. London: Routledge.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Holmgreen, L., & Vestergaard, T. (2009). Evaluation and audience acceptance in biotech news texts. Journal of Pragmatics, 41(3), 586–601. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hunston, S. (2000). Evaluation and the planes of discourse: status and value in persuasive texts. In S. Hunston & G. Thompson (Eds.), Evaluation in text: Authorial stance and the construction of discourse (pp. 56–73). Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hunston, S., & Thompson, G. (Eds.) (2000). Evaluation in text: Authorial stance and the construction of discourse. Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hyland, K. (2005). Stance and engagement: A model of interaction in academic discourse. Discourse Studies, 7(2), 173–192. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kolk, A. (2008). Sustainability, accountability and corporate governance: Exploring multinationals’ reporting practices. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17(1), 1–15. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Koteyko, N. (2012). Managing carbon emissions: A discursive presentation of ‘market–driven sustainability’ in the British media. Language & Communication, 32(1), 24–35. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Levy, D. (1997). Environmental management as political sustainability. Organization & Environment, 10(2), 126–147. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Livesey, S., Hartman, C., Stafford, E., & Shearer, M. (2009). Performing sustainable development through eco–collaboration: The Ricelands Habitat Partnership. Journal of Business Communication, 46(4), 423–454. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
MacDonald, M., & Hunter, D. (2013). The discourse of Olympic security: London 2012. Discourse & Society, 24(1), 66–88. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
MacDonald, S.P. (2005). The Language of journalism in treatments of hormone replacement news. Written Communication, 22(3), 275–297. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mahlberg, M. (2007). Lexical items in discourse: Identifying local textual functions of sustainable development
. In M. Hoey, M. Mahlberg, M. Stubbs, & W. Teubert (Eds.), Text, discourse and corpora: Theory and analysis (pp. 191–218). London: Continuum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Martin, J., & White, P. (2005). The language of evaluation: Appraisal in English. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mühlhäusler, P., & Peace, A. (2006). Environmental discourses. The Annual Review of Anthropology, 351, 457–479. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Olausson, U. (2009). Global warming—global responsibility?: Media frames of collective action and scientific certainty. Public Understanding of Science, 18(4), 421–436. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Perrin, D. (2012). Stancing: Strategies of entextualizing stance in newswriting. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(2–3), 135–147. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Schäfer, M. (2012). Taking stock: A meta–analysis of studies on the media’s coverage of science. Public Understanding of Science, 21(6), 650–663. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Scott, M. (2008). WordSmith Tools version 5. Liverpool: Lexical Analysis Software.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sinclair, J. (2005). Meaning in the framework of corpus linguistics. In W. Teubert & M. Mahlberg (Eds.), The corpus approach to lexicography. Thematic part of Lexicographica: Internationales Jahrbuch fuer Lexikographie, 20, 2004 (pp. 20–32). Tübingen: Niemeyer,![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stenvall, M. (2008). On emotions and the journalistic ideals of factuality and objectivity: Tools for analysis. Journal of Pragmatics, 40(9), 1569–1586. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stubbs, M. (2001). Words and phrases: Corpus studies in lexical semantics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ungar, S. (2000). Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: Climate change versus the ozone hole. Public Understanding of Science, 9(3), 297–312. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
van Dijk, T. (1988). News as discourse. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
van Dijk, T. (1993). Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse & Society, 4(2), 249–283. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
van Dijk, T. (2008). Discourse and manipulation. Discourse & Society, 17(2), 359–383. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
van Hout, T., Vertommen, B., & Pounds, G. (2012). Analyzing the view from here, there and nowhere: Discursive approaches to journalistic stance. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(2–3), 55–56. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Vertommen, B., Vandendaele, A., & van Praet, E. (2012). Towards a multidimensional approach to journalistic stance: Analyzing foreign media coverage of Belgium. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(2–3), 123–134. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Vis, K., Sanders, J., & Spooren, W. (2012). Diachronic changes in subjectivity and stance: A corpus linguistic study of Dutch news texts. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(2–3), 55–56. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Waller, R., & Conaway, R. (2011). Framing and counterframing the issue of corporate social responsibility: The communication strategies of Nikebiz.com. Journal of Business Communication, 9(1), 297–312.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
White, P.R.R. (2012). Exploring the axiological workings of ‘reporter voice’ news stories: Attribution and attitudinal positioning. Discourse, Context & Media, 1(2-3), 57–67. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wodak, R. (1996). Disorders of discourse. New York: Longman.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Woods, R., Fernández, A., & Coen, S. (2012). The use of religious metaphors by UK newspapers to describe and denigrate climate change. Public Understanding of Science, 21(3), 323–339. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (1)
Cited by one other publication
Liu, Ming & Jingyi Huang
2022.
“Climate change” vs. “global warming”: A corpus-assisted discourse analysis of two popular terms in The New York Times
.
Journal of World Languages 8:1
► pp. 34 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 16 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.