Tasakaalustatuse ja erapooletuse mõistete konstrueerimine ja argumenteerimine Eesti Televisioonile esitatud kaebustes ning nende vastustes
Date
2008
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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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.