Research On Value Orientation Of Typical-figure Report

Abstract：The typical report is the product of the specific environment of public opinion inChina. It plays a special role in the theory and practice of Chinese Journalism. In recent years,with the changes in the feature of public opinion environment, some researchers state that thestyle of typical report is declining. However, typical reporting gain more attention than it shouldbe in reality. The contrast between theory and reality shows that academia should re-examine thetheory and practice of typical report based on reality.“Touching Stories Around” is a typical report column on People’s Daily. This study selects atotal of84typical reports from this column from March22,2010(when the column started) toMarch22,2012. The main method of the research is discourse analysis, combined with textanalysis, content analysis and literature research method.The result shows that the CC (context configuration) of typical-figure report is:(1) Field:praise people who are "dedicated","courageous" or "helpful", promoting the value of altruism;(2) Tenor: typical figure always have higher social level, such as professional and technicalpersonnel;(3) Mode: the mode of transmission includes formal and informal written words. Thiscontext configuration is closely related to the political, economic and cultural factors.The typical-figure reports have a certain GSP (Generic Structural Potential). The “biography”and narrative part of the report have value-sharpening mechanism."Biography" emerges as amerged form, on the one hand, the drama of “biography” can make it more readable; On theother hand, highlighting the conflict between the people and events can put value labels on thefigure and make the value orientation more clear. Narrative part makes a pure narrativeappearance which in fact contains value judgment on the figure. The report always makescontrast through narrative elements to highlight or imply the theme of the coverage.In terms of vocabulary, on one hand, the typical figure report declares value orientation andforms a consensus on values through metaphors and other rhetorical approaches. On the otherhand, in grammar, it values the form of a negative evaluation to compliment the typical character.Typical figure report will never diminish within the current political, economic and culturalenvironment, nevertheless, researchers should pay more attention to the reality of declining. Toimprove the situation of the typical reported thoroughly and effectively, and make fully use of itsvalue-oriented function, media should1) enhance the influence of the typical figure report;2)break the previous mode of reporting;3) hide the value orientation in grammar and vocabulary,reduce ideological orientation.