The Subject and Journalistic Discourse

Abstract

As a social discourse, journalistic discourse is the product of a specialized communicational practice supported by a historical process that has made possible both its construction and the construction of the concept of the journalist, always in association with the institutions of society’s political system.

Journalistic discourse accounts for the practices of the producing subject, the journalist, as well as for the objects, concepts, and strategies that circulate within it. On the basis of the modalities of enunciation of televised journalistic discursive formation on socio-political issues, it is possible to establish the position occupied by the subject, which is expressed in the set of utterances and strategies deployed.

The function of the subject of the utterance, as an empty and shifting function from one utterance to another, may be performed by individuals who are different to a certain extent or by a single individual who may successively occupy different positions within a group of utterances and assume the role of different subjects. This paper seeks to establish the relationship between journalist and citizen.