Realization of “Food as a Source of danger” Cognitive Model in the Russian Media Discourse

Abstract

The present paper is devoted to analysis of cognitive and pragmatic aspects of food representation in the media discourse as well as peculiarities of language means of such representation. The paper investigates the language means used for realization of the “Food as a Source of danger” cognitive model in the Russian media discourse. The paper also studies connection between cognitive models’ realization and the journalists’ pragmatic goals aimed at negative representation of food in the media discourse. The study also analyzed the cognitive models’ dominant components. The authors come to a conclusion that foregrounding such components as participants, food and drink, characteristics of the object (food), action, consequences and others is determined by journalists’ pragmatic goals aimed at drawing attention to particular dishes or preventing the negative consequences of eating. Filling the components of the cognitive model with particular contents by means of the language units results in fulfilling the journalist’s pragmatic goal. The paper makes a contribution into such branches of linguistics as cognitive semantics, pragmatics, media-linguistics, theory of text and discourse. The results of the undertaken research can be used for analyzing realization of cognitive models in other types of discourse as well as in theoretical courses on text linguistics, discourse analysis, media-linguistics.