Tasakaalustatuse ja erapooletuse mõistete konstrueerimine ja argumenteerimine Eesti Televisioonile esitatud kaebustes ning nende vastustes

Date

2008

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Publisher

Tartu Ülikool

Abstract

Description

The aim of the Bachelor’s thesis was to study how are concepts of balance and impartiality constructed and argumented. And furthermore how are the guilty and the compliant parties confronted and what aspects have affected the discourse. The methods used are the Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis model and argumentation analysis. Considering the need to study the texts profoundly, the methods chosen justified themselves. The results of the research showed that the complainers perceive bias against their interests. Meaning that complaint was submitted because the complainers personal or commercials interests were harmed. Three complaints out of four judged bias consistent, one random. The prevailing aspect of balance and impartiality was equal air time – either it was too little or the complainer didn’t get it all. Because the compalints framed the main criterias, the dominating idea in the response was analogous. The strategy of argumentation was clear. The complainers wanted to get condemnatory decision in the form of objection or correction. More hidden purpose was to force Eesti Televisioon (public broadcaster) to admit its mistake, which would have given a signal to the public that the public broadcaster is biased which would affect the credibility of the organization. The ETV side respondent is in more difficult situation, because on the one hand he/she has to give and objective evaluation, but on the other hand he/she has to represent the interests of the ETV. Therefore the texts contained softening wording which was achieved thanks to nominalizations, using synonyms and shadowing the meanings. Characteristic to the complaints and responses was the shadowing of the agents and actors. This may have been caused because the writer didn’t know how to point the finger at or on the other hand the conscious ambition to protect one group or individual. Considering the future it is necessary to clearly define the roll of the journalistic ethics councillor of the public broadcaster. That could be one of the course how to elaborate the Bachelor’s thesis on the Masters level.

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