An Analysis Of Political News Discourse From The Perspective Of Appraisal Theory

Nowadays the society has full access to the era of information comprehensively. Mass media plays a more importance role in the process of the spread of information. Language is the carrier to realize the information dissemination. News, as one kind of the mass media, provides an important channel for us to obtain information. The development of science and culture make the society trend to be politicized. As a special text, its nature determines news report should show the description of straight forward and formulaic report, and reflect the objective and truthful fact. However, writers still permeate their attitude, stance and position when they writing the news. Martin’s Appraisal Theory provides a good analysis framework to analyze the appraisal resources in political news.Appraisal Theory is a new framework of lexico-grammar which is developed out of the interpersonal function within Systemic Function Linguistics. Appraisal deals with evaluation, it is concerned with the kinds of attitudes that are negotiated in a text, the strength of feelings and the ways in which values are sourced and readers are aligned. Since the theory appeared, the application in discourse analysis has become wide. The three systems have been applied to various kinds of discourses analysis. There are still few researchers who do research on the appraisal resources contained in political news. The thesis is based on the framework of Appraisal Theory, applying the three systems to the analysis of the appraisal resources in political news. The research aim is to study how the appraisal resources are distributed in political news; how writers trends to use the type of resources to indicate their views and position; how writers use appraisal words to align or consolidate relationship between readers and writers. Appraisal Theory is full of rich application values. All the discourse analysis of interpersonal meaning will involve evaluation. The research of the thesis deepens our reorganization of Appraisal Theory and makes the theory more three-dimensional. What’s more, through the analysis, it can enhance our sight and be more sensitive to the political news and provide a good method and way for understanding such kind of news better in future.We have selected30political news discourses as the research elements and used quantitative analytical methods, discussing the distribution of appraisal theory in political news. After analysis, most of appraisal resources are found in such discourse. As for choosing the resources, engagement resources are in the prominent position and the resources of dialogic expansion are more than the resources of dialogic contraction. It shows that the proposition being advanced by writers is the relatively object. Quoting heterogloss resources mutually coordinates with readers to reach the alignment with readers or consolidates the relationship between the writer and reader; and let the reader to accept the view and stance which is proposed by the writer. By using graduation resources maximizes the value position put forward by the writer and strongly align the reader to that value position. Attitude resources are least used which proves that the expression of writer is objective and neutral.This thesis can be divided into five chapters. The first chapter is introduction, including the background and purpose of the current study, research methodology and framework of the thesis. Chapter Two is literature review; a general review of the previous study of Appraisal Theory and political news discourse under Appraisal Theory. Chapter Three states the theoretical foundation and sketches the Appraisal Theory and framework of the three systems. Chapter Four elaborates the contents about the definition of political news, the characteristic and nature of political news. Chapter Five is the main body of the thesis, the author makes a detail analysis of the appraisal resources in political news; then draws the relevant conclusion. In conclusion part, the author summarizes the whole thesis and draws the conclusion; points out the main findings, limitations and implications; and proposes suggestions for the future study.