Scientific popularization as a social and communicative practice: The expression of resistance in the media text

Abstract

Speech factors for ensuring popular science media communication stability are analyzed, which are aimed for preventing communicative threats such as distrust to information, doubt of invention’s novelty and usefulness, misunderstanding of an explanation, lack of interest in the message, and skepticism about scientific knowledge. To prevent communicative threats, a media text acquires an objecting potential, which has been called text resistance. The media speech resistance is explicated in metatext, i. e. a subtext formation created by multi-level linguistic means to convey information about the content and nature of the author’s response to hypothetical communicative “impedance” of an addressee. While studying text resistance markers, variable responding strategies to an addressee impedance were found. Having expanded the concept of resistance, the typological method used showed that in each popularization strategy — informing, counseling, enlightenment, promotion — the hypothesis of a “impeding” addressee is formed and specific strategy for achieving resistance dominates. In order to increase reliability of presentation, a news source is demonstrated, which is repeatedly attested, and novelty and usefulness of covered scientific discovery are emphasized to reduce possible skepticism. While consulting, it is important the popular science mass audience to make understand scientific information, for this logic of explanation is demonstrated, and this mode of speech interaction is maintained throughout an explanation. In enlightenment, an emotional modus framework of interest in the socially significant scientific narrative about an outstanding scientist is created, thereby a cognitive impulse for an addressee’s semantic field expansion is formed. Scientists are shown worthy of memory and admiration, so a narrative is built in a pathetic and respectful modus framework. The success of promotional communication is ensured by the means of organizing personality-oriented communication, which help to create an atmosphere of reasoned evidence-based communication with a competent addressee. These methods contribute to elasticity and stability of communication.