Specifics of food-related cognitive models in the British media discourse

Abstract

The present paper is devoted to the problem of representing food in the British media discourse. The author analyzes social and linguistic factors of food representation in the media discourse, in particular, the ideas and social factors that influence the journalists as well as peculiarities of the linguistic forms of food representation. Particular attention is paid to the cognitive aspects: the author analyzes realization of specific cognitive models within the media discourse. The author also studies the cognitive models’ components, which are foregrounded in the media texts, and the linguistic means used for this purpose. The connection between a cognitive model realization and the journalist’s pragmatic goal aimed at positive representation of food in the British media discourse is also studied in the paper. The author comes to a conclusion that the process of food representation in the British media discourse is influenced by a goal, which is to demonstrate a new identity differing from the one that has existed before; within this identity particular attention is paid to eating out and healthy diet.

Keywords

• discourse studies
• media discourse
• food representation
• cognitive model
• identity