Stylistic And Pragmatic Functions Of Paralinguistic Means In Television Journalism Discourse

Abstract

Television journalism is multimodal, combining verbal content with paralinguistic elements including voice quality, prosody, gaze, facial expression, and gesture. Communication and nonverbal research show that paralinguistic signals alter speech interpretation, affective responses, and credibility. This article analyzes the stylistic and pragmatic uses of paralinguistic techniques in television journalism. Based on contemporary pragmastylistics, nonverbal communication studies, and media discourse analysis, the paper discusses how vocal and visual paralinguistic cues shape channel identity, genre-specific styles, and a journalist's professional persona while serving interpersonal and persuasive purposes. The interaction of prosodic patterns, gaze behavior, and gesture with news values like objectivity, emotional framing, and audience trust is examined, including empirical findings on how voice pitch and gesture intensity affect public speech effectiveness and attractiveness. The paper proposes that media literacy and professional training should clearly address the multimodal side of journalism in television news and discussion forms, where paralinguistic techniques bridge style expressivity and pragmatic influence.