Digital Communication and Media Linguistics

This textbook offers an interdisciplinary, comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of the media linguistics approaches to explain and understand digital communication and multimodality. Linking the fields of communication studies, applied linguistics and journalism, it grounds communication practices in a deep understanding of the social and societal implications of language use in digital media. The tools to analyse multimodal texts are analysed in light of the advantages and constraints that different communication modes pose, both individually and in combination. Aimed at upper level undergraduates and graduates in applied linguistics, communication and media studies, including journalism and PR, this textbook contains case studies and professional examples highlighting the interplay between language use and digital communication and encouraging the reader to reflect on the themes covered, and put the acquired knowledge into practice. Online resources for students include videos, writing techniques, a guide to multimodal texts analysis, additional case studies and a glossary.

• Presents an interdisciplinary, comprehensive and timely overview of the theories and methods developed in media linguistics to address multimodality and the vast changes brought by digital communication
• Provides the tools to analyse multimodal texts in light of the advantages and constraints that different communication modes pose, both individually and in combination
• Highlights the current complexity of the digital media through emergent paradigms, such as the algorithms culture, allowing students to explore questions on how algorithms influence our digital society
• Pedagogical features include case studies and real world examples, highlighting the interplay between language use and digital communication as well as encouraging the reader to reflect on the themes covered and put acquired knowledge into practice