Corpus analysis of collocations with health in the media texts

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Polissia National University

Corpus analysis of collocations with health in the media texts

O. Sivaieva

Annotation

The media is an influential tool in shaping public's opinion about HEALTH and its basic components. As this topic has been of great importance lately, the corpus study of media texts with HEALTH can reveal verbal means of how this lemma is depicted by journalists as well as what urgent social concerns are connected with HEALTH and what issues readers are aware of.

The research is aimed at studying collocations with HEALTH in The Guardian and The Mirror newspapers, focusing on the comparative analysis of them presented in the broadsheet and tabloid. Sketch Engine has been used to investigate the lemma HEALTH in both newspapers, which helps to disclose the linguistic means used to outline the concept HEALTH.

The findings of the study prove that despite the use of modifiers and verbs with HEALTH common for both newspapers (e.g., mental, physical, public; improve, protect, affect), The Mirror presents a wider choice of collocations with HEALTH compared to The Guardian, whereas the lexeme HEALTH is more frequently used in the latter - 2,367.84 per million as to 1,615.61 per million in the first one. Furthermore, the tabloid presents a larger range of health subjects while the broadsheet displays a narrower area of the topic with a more conservative point of view.

Key words: HEALTH, collocations, corpus analysis, media, The Guardian, The Mirror.

Анотація

Сіваєва О.С., Корпусний аналіз словосполучень з HEALTH у медіа текстах

Стаття присвячена корпусному аналізу концепту HEALTH в газетах The Guardian та The Mirror. Головна увага зосереджена на порівняльному аналізі словосполучень з лексемою HEALTH, представлених у британських суспільно-політичній пресі й таблоїдах. Для дослідження лексеми HEALTH в обох газетах створено корпуси текстів, які проаналізовано за допомогою комп'ютерної програми Sketch Engine. Виокремлені мовні засоби відображають спільні та відмінні аспекти концепту HEALTH, представленого у двох діаметрально протилежних газетах.

Ключові слова: HEALTH, словосполучення, корпусний аналіз, медіа, The Guardian, The Mirror.

Introduction

Corpus research enables language peculiarities analysis through using computer technologies. Our research is aimed at studying the corpus of media texts containing HEALTH collocations.

The aim of the research is to determine specific linguistic features of the lemma HEALTH in British broadsheets and tabloids. Considering the aim of the study, the following tasks have been set forward:

1) to create corpora of newspaper articles containing language units of the lemma HEALTH in broadsheets and tabloids;

2) to determine peculiarities of the collocations containing the lemma HEALTH in British broadsheets and tabloids;

3) to compare two corpora analyzing the collocations containing the lemma HEALTH in British broadsheets and tabloids and determining their similarities and peculiarities.

The object of the study is newspaper discourse containing the lemma HEALTH. The subject of the study is the collocations with the lemma HEALTH in the newspaper discourse.

Theoretical background. Media discourse is defined as interactions through a spoken or written broadcast platform, the discourse being oriented to a non-present viewer, listener or reader. Media discourse is understood as a pubic form of interaction being manufactured and on- record. The language of newspapers was studied by Rhea analyzing word order, the role of newspaper audiences and the influence of lexical and syntactic choice on creating and manipulating the meaning [13, 312-331]. Modern mass media pay great attention to health issues having an impact on the reader's health care interests. Researchers all over the world are interested in media influence on individual and public health, the purpose of these effects and consequences of this influence.

At the beginning of the research two corpora were created with the help of Sketch Engine program. The corpora present the data received from the newspaper articles taken from the broadsheet The Guardian and the tabloid The Mirror. The focus of attention is the collocations with the lemma HEALTH found in the newspapers mentioned.

The data given by the Sketch Engine present various information, showing similarities and differences between these certain collocations found in newspaper discourse. The following n-grams demonstrate colocations in both newspapers.

Figure 1. The n-gram of collocations with HEALTH in The Guardian

Figure 2. The n-gram of collocations with HEALTH in The Mirror

There are four groups of the collocations:

- nouns modified by HEALTH, for example health service;

- modifiers of HEALTH, for example good health;

- verbs with HEALTH as subject, for example health is;

- verbs with HEALTH as object, for example improve health.

It should be mentioned that both n-grams show a great variety of lemmas in each sector, the number of them being different anyway. The Guardian n-gram shows that the largest sector is represented by the nouns modified by HEALTH collocations. The second biggest segment of the pie-chart is presented by the modifiers of HEALTH. Next in number is the sector with verbs used with HEALTH as a subject. The smallest one comprises verbs with HEALTH as an object.

The Mirror n-gram shows that the biggest sector is modifiers with HEALTH. Then go nouns modified by HEALTH. Position number three is verbs with HEALTH as an object and the smallest sector is verbs with HEALTH as a subject.

The comparison of both n-grams demonstrates that the number of collocations in each specific group in both newspapers is almost the same. There are 42 nouns modified by HEALTH in The Guardian and in The Mirror, modifiers of HEALTH - 14 and 15 respectively, verbs with HEALTH as subject - 5 in each newspaper, while verbs with HEALTH as object - 5 in The Guardian and 10 in The Mirror. Whereas, each newspaper discourse has its own amount of certain collocation components used with the lemma HEALTH, in this way revealing their different approaches to problems concerning HEALTH in the society.

The next stage of the research is connected with analyzing the verbs and modifiers used with the lemma HEALTH. M. Stubbs distinguishes three categories of discourse prosody: positive, negative, and neutral, underlying that “there are always semantic relations between node and collocates, and among the collocates themselves [12, 225]. The interpretation of the results obtained has proved that images created in both newspapers concerning health are either positive or negative. Thus, the verbs and modifiers have been divided into positive and negative ones. The positive or negative semantic prosody has been based on the definitions of these particular verbs or modifiers. It should be mentioned that these positive and negative collocation components make the collocations with the lemma HEALTH positive and negative correspondingly.

The table given below demonstrates the number of positive and negative verbs and modifiers used with HEALTH in The Guardian.

All of things we want to do to protect us against climate change will improve our health, whether it's active transport - walking, cycling - eating healthier sustainable local diets or cutting air pollution (The Guardian).

Positive verb improves used with the lemma HEALTH in this sentence shows the society's concern being into healthy way of living, which is reflected in the newspaper discourse.

Table 1

Positive / negative collocates with HEALTH in The Guardian

Six small changes you can make right now to improve your health and wellbeing (The Mirror).

Positive verb improves used with the lemma HEALTH in this tabloid shows the media are concerned about the society, trying to prove that even small changes in people's lives can lead to general progress and real wellbeing. The newspaper hints at the fact that changing your life is quite easy, which is supportive as well.

If comparing these two sentences with the positive verb improve used with the lemma HEALTH, taken from two different newspapers, we can see that The Guardian does not only mention that improving health is important; but also shows the way how to achieve the aim. The Mirror expresses the same idea, suggesting rather easy ways to be fitter.

The negative verb deteriorates used with the lemma HEALTH, uncovers worries about people's health.

Sources have also confirmed Yang's health has deteriorated over the past month (The Guardian).

Negative verb deteriorates used with the lemma HEALTH turns the news presented into the negative one. It shows the newspaper concern about what is going on.

Negative verb deteriorates used with the lemma HEALTH makes the negative connotation possible in the following example.

The eighties' icon's health has been deteriorating since 2009 when he injured a vertebra in his upper neck while performing (The Mirror).

In this sentence pessimism and sadness are conveyed as well. The Mirror, as different from The Guardian, except for expressing their concern, immediately shows the reason of this deterioration giving as much information as possible, feeling freer in presenting the news.

The number of positive and negatives verbs and modifiers with HEALTH in The Mirror is given below.

For example, when positive modifier professional is used with the lemma HEALTH, the picture of security and protection is established. However, when negative problem is used with the lemma HEALTH, the picture of nervousness and scaredness is constructed.

Comparing positive and negative verbs in both newspapers helps us see the differences as well as similarities. Thus, both newspapers use the verbs improve and protect in collocations with the lemma HEALTH, which shows that both newspapers care about the reader, writing about how to improve their health and how they can protect themselves from any harm. On the other hand, the verbs used in The Mirror have stronger positive connotation than the verbs offered by The Guardian, thus aiming at boosting, promoting and supporting the reader. Besides, it should be mentioned that the set of the verbs chosen by each newspaper is determined by the fact that The Guardian is a broadsheet whereas The Mirror is a tabloid, both newspapers having their own style of communicating with the reader.

Ban entire pesticide class to protect children's health, experts say (The Guardian).

The verb protect in the collocation with the lemma HEALTH implies that the experts are attracting attention to children, their health in particular. They hope to make the society be concerned about children's lives and their future.

Cranberries are new weapon in battle to boost health of your brain, gut, heart and immune system (The Mirror). The verb boost in the collocation with the lemma HEALTH used in The Mirror implies emotional involvement, meaning encouragement, positive attitude, real care and sincere excitement.

Such study is meant to promote health and science, not the opposite, by `training' unqualified people in subjects that could easily lead to endangering a vulnerable public (The Mirror).

Table 2

Positive / negative collocates with HEALTH in The Mirror

The verb promote in the collocation with the lemma HEALTH used in The Mirror shows that the society truly cares about all people, implying that everybody matters. People are not the only ones who need promotion, health needs promotion as well. This collocation adds excitement to the message as well as motivation.

As for the negative verbs, one verb common for both newspapers was identified. This is the verb affect, which means that the newspapers in spite of the differences in communication style show the reader what can harmfully influence their lives. This verb is the only one used in The Mirror whereas The Guardian frequently uses two more verbs, such as underlie and deteriorate, which means that the register of communication is more serious and the reader is offered more serious information, can be even made worried and scared.

How does it affect your health? (The Mirror).

The three housing problems that most affect your health (The Guardian).

The verb affect in the collocations with the lemma HEALTH in both newspapers implies genuine concern and worry, meaning to demonstrate that society is filled with fear, anxious and is even terrified. The purpose of the media is to attract attention to the problem that is real.

The next stage of the study is comparing the collocation components used with the lemma HEALTH in both newspapers. In each group there are verbs and modifiers that are used in The Guardian as well as in The Mirror. Both newspapers communicate with their readers using such nouns in collocations as problem, issue, professional, condition, service, visitor, accentuating what the reader is really concerned about, either the reader reading a broadsheet, or a tabloid. Besides, the number ofthe nouns used in the collocations with the lemma HEALTH (1,910) in The Mirror is bigger than the one in The Guardian (1,855).

Noun modified by HEALTH:

A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife, who has undergone further training (The Mirror).

The health visitor arranged for her to get the appropriate help (The Guardian).

When the noun in these examples is modified by HEALTH, the collocation implies hope and optimism, showing that the way out the society needs is absolutely possible.

HEALTH as object:

A switch to ecological farming will benefit health and environment (The Guardian).

Miriam Stoppard: Teenage exercise can benefit your health later in your life (The Mirror).

The verb benefit + HEALTH as an object shows the excitement about the possibility to have a better future, the media revealing encouragement and hope as for good chances the society might have.

HEALTH as a subject:

Our health is all we have (The Guardian).

Physical health is high on agenda - but you might be neglecting one obvious part (The Mirror).

The lemma HEALTH used as a subject with the verb is accentuates the importance of health for the society, its primary position in the modern world.

Modifiers of HEALTH:

Detained British-Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert is in good health and has access to food (The Guardian).

Link between cycling and good health has been clear for years (The Mirror).

The lemma HEALTH used with the modifier good in both newspapers demonstrates that the society is truly concerned about health, wishing it to be always good only.

As for the verbs with the lemma HEALTH as an object, the ones in common are protect, affect and improve, which shows that the two newspapers, though different, appeal to the reader in the same way, showing what can affect them and, what is really important. The other verbs used in The Mirror add optimistic colouring whereas the ones in The Guardian are of explanatory kind with no positive emotions.

It should be also mentioned that most of the modifiers in the collocations with HEALTH are the same in both newspapers, e.g. good, own, physical. The modifiers mentioned help two different kinds of newspapers touch the reader to have the greatest impact.

Conclusions

The research revealed similarities and differences in using the collocations with HEALTH in The Guardian and The Mirror newspapers.

The four groups of collocations (nouns modified by HEALTH, modifiers of HEALTH, verbs with HEALTH as subject and verbs with HEALTH as object) are represented by different amounts of collocations in each newspaper, either same (improve, protect, own, good) or different (underlie, deteriorate - The Guardian), (benefit, boost, promote - The Mirror).

The verbs and modifiers used with the lemma HEALTH can be positive (protect, expert, benefit) and negative (problem poor, issue).

In the Guardian there are more positive modifiers than positive verbs, more negative modifiers than negative verbs. In the Mirror there are more positive verbs than positive modifiers, but more negative modifiers than negative verbs.

There are positive verbs that are used in collocations by both newspapers (improve and protect) and negative verbs (affect) whereas some verbs are characteristic only of The Guardian (positive: put, have, mean; negative: underline, deteriorate) or The Mirror (positive: boost, benefit, promote; no special negative verb found).

Thus, the collocations with the lemma HEALTH used in The Guardian describe situations or facts, no imperative connotation is expressed. On the other hand, the collocations with the lemma HEALTH used in The Mirror are not only descriptive, but imperative, too, encouraging the reader to do something or warning the reader not to.

The further research will be aimed at investigating the most frequently used colocations with HEALTH considering their implications and analyzing the differences and similarities conveyed in broadsheets and tabloids.

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