Written Communication Apr 1997

Naturalizing the Future in Factual Discourse: A Critical Linguistic Analysis of a Projected Event

PATRICIA L. DUNMIRE

Abstract

This article examines the linguistic processes through which a projected event (that is, an event that a group of spokespersons alleges will occur in the future) is constructed within factual discourse. Critical linguistic analysis is used to examine the New York Times and Washington Post coverage of the 1990 Persian Gulf conflict. This study makes two contributions. First, it expands on work in critical linguistics by explicating how a projected event is constructed as a discrete and autonomous event unfolding in the social world. Second, this study demonstrates how the political interests underlying the newspaper accounts were “naturalized” through linguistic transformations that constructed politically situated assertions as unmediated and presupposed information. This study is important for understanding the constructive nature of language practices because it demonstrates how seemingly arhetorical linguistic constructions can be examined for their rhetorical features, features that play an important role in actively constructing representations of the social world.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1997-04-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088397014002003
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Yu et al. (2019)
    A Genre-Based Analysis of Forward-Looking Statements in Corporate Social Respon…
    Written Communication
  2. Kopple (2002)
    From the Dynamic Style to the Synoptic Style in Spectroscopic Articles in the P…
    Written Communication

References (120)

  1. Apple, R. W., Jr. (1990)
    New York Times
  2. Apple, R. W., Jr. (1990)
    New York Times
  3. Aristotle
    Aristotle's categories and De Interpretione
  4. Aristotle
    The rhetoric and poetics of Aristotle
  5. Balz, D. (1990)
    Washington Post
Show all 120 →
  1. Bauman, R.
    Story, performance, event
     ↗
  2. Bennett, W. L.
    News: The politics of illusion
  3. Boustany, N. (1990)
    Washington Post
  4. 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1989.tb01023.x
     ↗
  5. (1990)
    Washington Post
  6. Caldas-Coulthard, C. R.
    Advances in written text analysis
  7. Caldas-Coulthard, C. R.
    Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis
     ↗
  8. Carnap, R.
    Meaning and necessity
  9. Chafe, W.
    Evidentiality: The linguistic coding of epistemology
  10. Chafe, W.
    Evidentiality: The linguistic coding of epistemology
  11. Chilton, P.
    Language and the nuclear arms debate: Nukespeak today
  12. Chomsky, N.
    Triumph of the image: The media's war in the Persian Gulf—A global perspective
  13. 10.1177/016344390012001005
     ↗
  14. Davis, H. (1983)
    International Journal of the Sociology of Language
  15. Devroy, A. (1990)
    Washington Post
  16. Downing, J.
    The media machine
  17. Downing, J.
    Discourse and communication
  18. 10.1177/003803857801200102
     ↗
  19. Dunmire, P.L. (1995). Constructing a projected event: A critical linguistic analysis of…
  20. Edelman, M.
    Language and politics
  21. Fairclough, N.
    Language and power
     ↗
  22. Fairclough, N.
    The Oxford international encyclopedia of linguistics
  23. Fairclough, N.
    Discourse and social change
     ↗
  24. 10.1177/0957926592003002004
     ↗
  25. Fleischman, S.
    The future in thought and language
  26. 10.1075/sl.13.1.02fle
     ↗
  27. Fleischman, S.
    Tense and narrativity: From medieval performance to modern fiction
  28. Fowler, R.
    Handbook of discourse analysis: Discourse analysis in society
  29. Fowler, R.
    Approaches to discourse, poetics, and psychology
  30. Fowler, R.
    Language topics
  31. Fowler, R.
    Language in the news: Discourse and ideology in the press
     ↗
  32. Fowler, R.
    Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis
  33. Fowler, R.
    Language and control
     ↗
  34. Fowler, R.
    Language as ideology
  35. Fowler, R.
    Language and control
  36. Friedman, T. L. (1990)
    New York Times
  37. Friedman, T. L. (1990)
    New York Times
  38. Geis, M. L.
    The language of politics
  39. Gilbert, G. N.
    The social processes of scientific investigation, sociology of the sciences, yearbook
  40. 10.1177/030631282012003002
     ↗
  41. Gilbert, G. N.
    Opening pandora's box
  42. 10.1075/sl.6.1.03giv
     ↗
  43. Givon, T.
    Mind, code, context: Essays in pragmatics
  44. 10.1075/sl.18.2.02giv
     ↗
  45. Glasgow University Media Group
    Bad news
  46. Glasgow University Media Group
    More bad news
  47. Hall, S.
    Policing the crisis: Mugging, the state, and law and order
  48. Hall, S.
    Culture, society, and the media
  49. Halliday, M.A.K.
    Explorations in the functions of language
  50. Halliday, M.A.K.
    An introduction to functional grammar
  51. Halliday, M.A.K.
    Writing science: Literacy and discursive power
  52. Hartley, J.
    Understanding news
     ↗
  53. Heritage, J.
    Garfinkle and ethnomethodology
  54. Herman, E.S.
    Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media
  55. Hodge, B.
    Language and control
  56. 10.1016/0378-2166(89)90064-7
     ↗
  57. Hoffman, D. (1990)
    Washington Post
  58. 10.3765/bls.v17i0.1609
     ↗
  59. Hopper, P.
    Discourse grammar and typology. Papers in honor of John W. M. Verhaar
  60. 10.1075/sl.6.3.04jam
     ↗
  61. Kellner, D.
    The Persian Gulf TV war
     ↗
  62. Kifner, J. (1990)
    New York Times
  63. Kifner, J. (1990)
    New York Times
  64. Kress, G. (1983)
    International Journal of the Sociology of Language
  65. Kress, G.
    Language, image, media
  66. Kress, G.
    Language and the nuclear arms debate: Nukespeak today
  67. Kress, G.
    Handbook of discourse analysis: Discourse analysis in society
  68. Kress, G.
    Functions of style
  69. Kress, G.
    Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis
  70. Kress, G. (1978)
    10.1111/j.1467-954X.1978.tb00743.x
    Sociological Review  ↗
  71. 10.1515/jlse.1978.7.1.29
     ↗
  72. Latour, B.
    Laboratory life: The social construction of scientific facts
  73. MacArthur, J. R.
    The second front: Censorship and propaganda in the Gulf War
  74. Menz, F.
    Language, power, and ideology
  75. Mink, L. O.
    The writing of history: Literary form and historical understanding
  76. Moore, M. (1990)
    Washington Post
  77. Moore, M. (1990)
    Washington Post
  78. Murphy, C. (1990)
    Washington Post
  79. 10.1177/030639688602700301
     ↗
  80. Myers, G.
    Writing biology: Texts in the social construction of scientific knowledge
  81. Myers, G.
    Advances in written text analysis
  82. Nohrstedt, S. A.
    Triumph of the image: The media's war in the Persian Gulf—a global perspective
  83. Palmer, J.
    Mood and modality
     ↗
  84. Parsons, T.
    Events in the semantics of English: A study in subatomic semantics
  85. 10.1002/ejsp.2420200504
     ↗
  86. 10.1016/0378-2166(90)90046-G
     ↗
  87. Potter, J.
    Discourse and social psychology: Beyond attitudes and behavior
  88. Potter, J. (1988)
    Text
  89. 10.1177/0957926591002003005
     ↗
  90. Rosenthal, A. (1990)
    New York Times
  91. Schiller, H. I.
    Triumph of the image: The media's war in the Persian Gulf—a global perspective
  92. Seidel, G.
    Handbook of discourse analysis: Discourse analysis in society
  93. Shapiro, M.
    Language and politics
  94. Shapiro, M.
    The politics of representation: Writing practices in biography, photography, and policy a…
  95. Simons, H.
    The recovery of rhetoric: Persuasive discourse and disciplinarity in the human sciences
  96. 10.1086/465362
     ↗
  97. 10.1093/mind/LIX.235.320
     ↗
  98. Trew, T.
    Language and control
  99. Trew, T.
    Language and control
  100. Tuchman, G.
    Making news: A study of the construction of reality
  101. Tyler, P. E. (1990)
    Washington Post
  102. Tyler, P. E. (1990)
    Washington Post
  103. Tyler, P. E. (1990)
    Washington Post
  104. Tyler, P. E. (1990)
    Washington Post
  105. (1990)
    New York Times
  106. Van Dijk, T. A.
    News analysis: Case studies of international and national news in the press
     ↗
  107. Van Dijk, T. A.
    Language, power, and ideology
  108. Van Dijk, T. A.
    Racism in the press
  109. Van Dijk, T. A.
    Elite discourse and racism
  110. 10.1177/0957926595006001005
     ↗
  111. Wetherell, M.
    Analyzing lay explanation: A case book
  112. Wodak, R.
    Language, power, and ideology
  113. Woodward, B.
    The commanders
  114. 10.1177/030631278101100304
     ↗
  115. 10.1515/text.1.1989.9.4.369
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 18 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Res Rhetorica Apr 2026
    Logos in ancient Greek discourse on rhetoric: An overview ↗
    Arkadiusz Sokolnicki
    classical rhetoric rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument
  2. Rhetoric of Health and Medicine Apr 2026
    What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Constructing Risk at Advanced Maternal Age ↗
    Melissa Carrion
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis
  3. Poroi Feb 2026
    Multi-Methodological, Multiply Ontological: Pivoting Methodologies in Rhetorical Analysis of Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) ↗
    Paige Welsh; S. Scott Graham
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis
  4. Poroi Feb 2026
    Using Stasis Theory as a Heuristic for Examining Epistemological Dilemmas in a Post-Truth Landscape ↗
    Bruce Bowles
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument
  5. Written Communication Feb 2026
    Rhetoric and Affect: The Role of Faith in Student Writers’ Wayfinding ↗
    Amy D. Williams; Jonathan Ostenson
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis empirical research affect and writing