Hybrid Public Relations News Discourse

Abstract

The aim of this article is twofold: to integrate an analysis of discourse processes into Fairclough’s textually orientated critical discourse analysis, and to show the usefulness of this approach in demonstrating the encroachment of public relations on news production in Slovenia. Interpractice analysis – which identifies cases where text production and interpretation processes overtly use practices outside the convention – was used to identify so-called ‘public relations news reports’ and uncover the elements of public relations practice used in journalism. The analysis of interdiscursivity revealed how hybrid practice, through textual devices (i.e. topics, perspective, choice of sources, genre and lexis), incorporates discursive elements of public relations into news report discourse. These include using the representatives of an organization as the main source, partiality and a one-sided (favourable) evaluation of the characteristics/activities of the subject discussed; none of which are in the interest of the audience, but in the interest of the powerful elite that the news covers.