The Voice of Authority

The Local Accomplishment of Authoritative Discourse in Live News Broadcasts

Bibliographic Data

ID5965135
AuthorsG Raymond (0000-0002-8899-4323, University of York, corresponding author)
Year2000
Volume2
Issue3
Pages354-379
Publication date2000-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDiscourse Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-4456 • E-ISSN: 1461-7080
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1461445600002003005
OpenAlexW2148834476
LanguageEN
Citations received29
References cited45

Ever since language has been examined as a vehicle for action, scholars have been interested in its authorized use (Austin, 1962). Typically described under the rubric of `felicity conditions', the authorized use of language involves, among other conditions, the right or authority of a member to engage in, or deploy, some named action. This paper begins by examining how participants authorize the discourse of a co-interactant in one specialized setting: a live news broadcast. I argue that the successful exploitation by a reporter of his/her right to authoritatively describe a scene all are witnessing rests in part on the displayed mutual orientation of his or her co-interactants to that right through the local, contingently achieved deployment of complex discursive practices. After exploring the special case of live news broadcasts, I link this study to other studies of mass media that have explored the link between discursive practices in news broadcasts and reportorial authority. Finally, I argue that the resources I have identified have a more general provenance than live news broadcasts, and reflect on the relation between these findings and recent discussions that explore the authorized use of language

Linguistics · Media studies · Pedagogy · Political science · Rubric · Sociology · Software deployment · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Rhetoric and Communication Studies

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