Interpretational Patterns Of Events In Media Discourse: A Cognitive-Discursive Approach

Abstract

This study explores the interpretational patterns of events in media discourse from a cognitive-discursive perspective. It proceeds from the assumption that media representations of events are not direct reflections of objective reality, but the result of complex interpretational processes conditioned by cognitive, ideological, and communicative factors. The research focuses on the mechanisms through which real-world events are transformed into media events, including selection, framing, structuring, nomination, causal attribution, and evaluation.

 The theoretical framework of the study is grounded in contemporary medialinguistics, cognitive linguistics, and discourse analysis. Particular attention is given to the variative-interpretational function of media texts, which enables a single event to be represented in multiple semantic and evaluative forms. The study introduces the concept of the interpretational pattern as a stable cognitive-discursive model that governs the transformation of factual information into socially meaningful verbal constructs. Methodologically, the research distinguishes between the dictum (factual) and modus (evaluative) layers of media texts and analyses their interaction within interpretational-cognitive models. The study also examines the structure of the interpretational field of events, identifying monocentric and polycentric patterns of interpretation. The findings demonstrate that interpretational patterns play a crucial role in shaping the media picture of the world, directing audience perception, and reinforcing ideological positions. The results of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the linguistic and cognitive mechanisms underlying media influence and provide a methodological basis for analysing discursive manipulation and agenda-setting processes in contemporary mass communication.