K@ta: A Biannual Publication on the Study of Language and Literature (Jan 2014)
Genre and Register of Antagonist’s Language in Media: An Appraisal Study of Indonesian Newspapers
Abstract
This research explores how the language of the antagonists is unfolded in print Indonesian media. The analysis is focused on the exploitation of types of texts (genres) and the register. These are explored through the lexis, transitivity, appraisal systems, and text structure. The data were news, editorials, and letters to editors, collected from Kompas, Jawa Pos, Solopos, and Suara Merdeka from May to October 2012. Further selected using criterion-based sampling techniques, the data resulted in eight texts to analyze. In addition to the linguistic analysis, interviews were conducted with the stakeholders of the social issues. The results show that antagonists used the three types of macro genres to express their ideologies in the newspapers. At the level of register, the antagonists develop their attitudes through their feeling (affect), as well as evaluation about other participants (judgment) or things (appreciation). They even amplify and align their attitude through graduation and engagement.
