Keeping the viewer’s attention. Linguistic and non-linguistic means of persuasion in television news programs

Abstract

Television news programmes undergo modifications. This is related, on the one hand, to changes induced by the development of television as a medium, while on the other, to the alterations in the way programmes are conducted and new tools of contact with the viewers. Apart from the constitutive information function, the persuasive-recommending function gains importance. The author discusses the most important persuasive linguistic and non-linguistic means to engage the viewer and encourage him or her to view the information service. The presence of persuasive mechanisms is possible because modern news releases are multimodal in which the verbal text coexists with visual, musical and aesthetic elements. Coexistence of multiple codes and reception on several levels create new text design in the television news. The article discusses the most commonly used persuasion strategies, such as the impact of the presenter’s personality (his appearance, a mode of expression, the knowledge, the culture and the linguistic politeness), specific commands directed to viewers, e.g. stay with us, don’t leave receivers, we will meet after the break, interesting, current, new, diverse program proposals, intriguing beginnings, having a diversified linguistic form, broken syntactic structures, polite speech acts in the initial and final parts, familiarity and dialogue (conversations with guests, co-presenters and viewers), as well as varied intonation in information services. Discussed coaxing mechanisms it is interesting at first for entertaining programs and turning up at news bulletins of different stations, are leading to the observation that it does not already concern only inquiring, the presentation and the interpretation of the facto. The contemporary viewer observes, watches the news and it is necessary to stop his attention.