Projection Theory and Its Application into Media Discourse Analysis

第5卷第11期读与写 杂志2008年11月Vol.5 No.11Read and Write PeriodicalNovember 2008Projection Theory and Its Application into MediaDiscourse Analysis邵宏(桂林电子科技大学外语系广西桂林541004)Abstract: Projection is a kind of lgical-semantie relation which refers to the phenomenon that the secondary clause isprojected through the primary clause, which instates it as a locution or an idea. Halliday conducts the basic research onprojection from the functional perspective. Then Martin and Zeng try to develop Halliday' s projection theory, resuling ina comprehensive framework of projection. Finally the projection theory is applied into the analysis of a sample mediadiscourse. And projection theory is of great help in its application into media discourse analysis.Keywords: projection; media discourse analysis中图分类号: H319文献标识码: A文章编号:1672-1578(2008)110008 -02Halliday's projection theoryAnything that can be meant in the language can have the sta-According to Halliday [1219-220projection; a kind of tusof a facet. AlI in all, diferent kinds of projection are cate-logical- semantie relation. It refers to the phenomenon that the gories of the language, not of the real world.secondary clause is prijected through the primary clause, which 2 Other researchers' development of Hliday's projec.instates it as a locution or an idea. Locution refers to a con-tion theorystruction of wording, but idea refers to a construction of mean-Martin argues that people can quote or report what peopleing. The fllowin table (adapted from Hlliday's, 2000: 220)say or think when they are writing or speaking. This type ofis used to show the basic types of projection.lingustic resource is projection and it can be the source ofatitude. He cssifies the projection into four types: projecting. (i) pnterire(i) brptartie .clauses, names for‘speech acts', projecting within clauses,Locubon| Johin sid: 'I'm running away.'Jotm sid he w≌rmming away,scarce quotes. Next I will give examples to ilustrate the fouridea |uobon thoupht to himsel: 'I'll nun ay. | John thought he would run aa.prijecting sources. (1) He said he won the game. (lst type)(2) I gave him a suggestion that he should work hard. (2ndAccording to the two dimensions of locution/idea andtype) (3) such ofices a it may deem necessary (3rd type)paratactichypotactie, we can derive four types of projection: lo(4) He played fooball 'by the rule'. (4uh type) Martin discuss-cution quolaion, locution report. idea quotation, idea report.es two new kinds of projection, that is, the last two kinds,Projetion can be realized in dfferent forms, but the most im-comparing with Hlliday's research on projection. What's moreportant point is its functional features in logie and semantics.important, Martin begins to apply the projection theory into theHalliday [1]249 -250continues to interpret the notion oatitude research in discourse. From the different projectingprojection as the logical -semantic relationship whereby a clausesources, readers can find the sources of atitude and feel thecomes to function not as a direct representation of (non-lin-multi-voices or different viewpoints in a cerain discourse.guistic) experience, but a8 a representation of a linguistic)Zeng gives u屿a comprehensive framework of projectionrepresentation. And the projection of a phenomenon can betypes. The fllowing table is an adapted one from hers.called melaphenomenon. So no matter what content is project-TrpesFunctionsed, locution or idea, it will be the representation of a linguisticPrijetion parapaphpripring lextrepresentation.Prijetion cause neus loution. loution quote. locution reportHalliday also discusses another two types of projection:idea idia rpor. idra quoteembedded projection and facts. For example， (1) the assertionPojection claiseenmbedded Toeulion and idoeathat Mary i a good teacher, the undertined part is embeddedfacs ebeddedd ominianionprojetion. And it is a kind of locution projection which isprntintgn rouse i证Dada adjunrtrankshifted to function as a postqualifier within a nominalPripertion gouppriecing hinggroup with a noun functioning as Thing as the projecting sigFrom this table, we can find projection can appear in al-nal. There are other similar projecting signals like assertion,such as statement, report, belief, question, suggestion, hope andmost all the rank scales: the rank of paragraph, the rank ofcommand; (2) That Mary is a good teacher is well known. Theclause complex, the rank of clause and the rank of group.underlined part is a fact projection. It has no projeeting signalZeng discusses another two fresh kinds of projection: projectionsuch as Sayer or Sensor, or a verbal or mental process noun. paragoadal adjunet. The formerThe fact projection can have altemative forms such as "I istype中国煤化工pagoph een thewell known that Mary is good teacher", and “The fact thatwhole:YHC NMH Ge. For example, “IackMary is a good teacher is well known". According to Halliday,old us a story: long, long ago, there was a king. ... Thea fact is still an idea; and one that has been so fully ‘seman-whole text is a projection structure. The projecting signal ofticized' that it is no longer explicitly projected, but is alreadythe latter type is a modal adjunct, eg. According to Jim, theywrapped and packaged to take its place in linguistie structure.- 8-第5卷第11期读与写杂志2008年11月Vol.5 No.11Read and Write PeriodicalNovember 2008will have a new history teacher. This framework of projectionvery important person in the club. So we can see that all thecan supply us with a comprehensive perspective when reading sayers are important people or institutions. These projectionsa discourse.an then satisfy the readers of this discourse who want to3 Projection thery's pplication into media discourse learm the convincible and authoitaive opinions of the elub.analysisSecond, let us analyze the projecting signals and then de-Media discourse is a kind of style which is characteristiccide the types of these projections:of projection. In this section, I shall apply the projection theo-locution report (within a clause) (a)ry into media discourse analysis. Owing to the limited printinglocution report (within a clause complex) (b)space, I will select a short media discourse which is not usedlocution quote (within a clause complex) (c)to provide a complete survey of all the relevant features ofFrom the types of these projections, we can see the writerprijetion theory, but can silll show the main features of media of this repor make full uee of locution to give the readers adiscourse. The discourse we are going to analyze is as fllows:faithful picture of the curent event: West Ham club has apWeet Ham appoints lalian as technical directorpointed an ltalian as the club's first technical director, he1 (间) LONDON: West Ham United has announced the ap-would be responsible for a lot of tasks and the manager of thepointment of 45-year- old Ialian Gianluca Nani as the Premier club will support him. West Ham manager Alan Curbisley isLeague club's first technical director.the most authoritative person in this discourse, so the wrier2 (6) A statement on the West Ham website (ww.whuf. quoles his original words to supply the readers with real inforcom) said Nani would enhance the intemational scouting net-mation. Locution, 8 a set of lexicogrammatical signs, canwork, assist with transfers and help develop the youth academy.stimulate more thinking and imagination than meaning. The()“Gianlura is the person I nee to help me in the reuit readers may even have dfent iterpetations of the samement at the club, venturing down into the academy level,"ords. So the writers or reporters like to use locution quote forWest Ham manager Alan Curbishley told British media. "Itithose people whose opinions they value and only summary fora big brief butI am sure he isup forit. He is vastly expei- those people whose opinions they do not value when rprtingenced."some sensitive or disputed events.Before we analyze this sample discourse, we should learnUsing projection can make media discourse objective, andsomething about the relationship between the readers and thethe writer is trying to be objective to give, but not commentmedia discourse. The readers mainly expect to leam the re-something. But the writer can be still subjective in reporting.ported event, the evidence, reactions and attitudes from relevantUsually he could flexibly select the reported contents and thesides, the description of which should be objective and "real".ways of reporting such as the types of projection. Taken togeth-They also show great concerm to the VIPs and ordinary pecer, the features of explicit objectivity, implicit subjectivity, re-ple's atitudes and opinions. So from the perspective of pro-porting and projection construet the style of media discourse.jection, media reporters should be obliged to quote or reportAnd we can generally conclude that writers or reporters try tothe words and ideas of those relevant people.We also need tomainly objectively report different things or project differentleam the background about the discourse itself. This is a newsopinions and atiudes from diferent people.report on sports. Concretely speaking, this media discourse isReferences:about English football club operation and management. 'Tech-[1Halliday, M. A. K. An Introduction to Functional Grammarnical director' has provedproblematic position at severalM].北京:外语教学与研究出版社,2000:219 -220,249- 250,272.English clubs. And Ialian caches are very popular recently in (2]Marin, J.R.and David Rose. Working wih Discourse: mean-Britain. So the appointment of an ltalian as a technical direc-ing beyond the clause [0L] ht://w/w .languagera.org/.2001 :38.tor by an English foball club will be a sensitive media event.. [3|曾蕾(Zeng, L.)授射语言研究[M].广州:中山大学出版社，The paragraphs of the above discourse are numbered (1，2006:175-176.2) and each projection is shown by a ltter a, b, c). Each[4]West Ham appoints Iualian as technical director [N]. CHINAprojection stucture with the Sayer and projeting signal will be DAILY, March 19. 2008, P24.listed as fllows:[5]汤普森.转述法|M]. 北京:外文出版社.000 170.West Ham United ... has announced (间)A statement on the West Ham website ". said (b)作者简介:邵宏(1972-),男,汉族,湖北大冶人,讲师,硕士,研West Ham manager Alan Curbishley .. told (e)究方向:系统功能语言学,语篇分析。First, let us analyze the sayers in these projeetion struc-tures: the sayer in () is the authority of the elub; the one in(b) is the oficial statement from the club; the one in (c) is the中国煤化工MYHCNMHG- 9-