Metadiscursive features in speech about death and face masks in the Public Health Agency’s press conferences during the pandemic 2020–2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5617/sakprosa.10515Keywords:
the reflexive metadiscursive model, covid-19, crisis communication, press conferences, death toll, face masksAbstract
The study deals with the Public Health Agency’s (FHM) information to the public about covid-19 via recurring press conferences. The aim is to investigate metadiscursive features in the authority’s information on death tolls and face masks, focusing on vagueness and certainty in the linguistic expressions. Theoretically and methodologically, the study is based on the reflexive metadiscursive model which sees the interpersonal function as fundamental in all interaction, and which focuses on the propositional content of the statements. The material consists of a strategic selection of seven press conferences (2020–2021). The result shows that FHM expresses itself with greater certainty about death tolls than about face masks. This is likely because the death toll can be verified statistically. FHM spokespersons are usually speaker-oriented and use we in the sense of ‘FHM’, but they can also be listener-oriented through directive instructions to the public. In the information on death tolls, there are many reinforcing linguistic expressions. According to FHM, there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of face masks, and the authority takes a position on this issue that goes against the recommendations of both the WHO and the neighbouring countries. It may be unclear who is included in FHM’s we, i.e. whether it means ‘FHM’, ‘science’ or ‘all of us’. In addition, there are many hedging language expressions and avoidance strategies. FHM’s recommendations on face masks are consistently explicitly directive and indirectly speaker-oriented; they always refer to their own infection prevention measures that do not include the use of face masks. The study deals with a communicatively challenging situation that a constantly changing pandemic situation constitutes. The metadiscursive model is an adequate explanatory model that could be used by researchers for similar studies in the future.
