Intertextuality and the 24-Hour News Cycle: A Day in the Rhetorical Life of Colin Powell's U.N. Address

Appendix F. Conventions of Precontextualizationin Mainstream Journalism

251 Appendix F Conventions of Precontextualization in Mainstream Journalism x P recontextualization may take a number of forms. First, journalists can rely upon “advance copies” to report what a political leader will say later on. In this case, the journalist technically recontextualizes the “advance copy” in order to precontextualize the politician’s future discourse. Second, journalists can rely upon “insider sources” and their strategic leaks. In this case, they once again recontextualize the words of anonymous “officials” in order to precontextualize the future speech of the central political figure. Third, journalists may independently speculate about what a political leader will say. In this case, they rely on their own knowledge and intuition to predict or hypothesize about the future address. Depending on the strategy of precontextualization employed, reporters have more or less freedom to frame future discourse, to imbue it 252 Appendix F with their own evaluative and ideological accents. Likewise, depending on the form of precontextualization, reporters are more or less likely to report future discourse accurately.At one extreme, when reporters quote from an “advance copy” of a speech, they are effectively tethered to the text and have less space to put their own “spin” on the future semiotic event. As long as these “pre-quotations” don’t differ significantly from the future utterance, we may call them accurate. At the other extreme, when reporters speculate about an upcoming address, they have significant freedom to construe future discourse according to their own beliefs and values. Such speculative “pre-reports” are also more susceptible to inaccuracy. In table F.1, I outline various conventions of precontextualization in corporate media environments. Table F.1. Conventions of Precontextualization in Mainstream Journalism Convention Description Example Reporter Freedom Report “Accuracy” Precontextualization based on “advance copy” Relying on an advance copy, the reporter quotes or indirectly reports what a speaker will say in a future address. No instances in this corpus, since no advance copy was provided to the press If reporters quote the advance copy, there is little space for reinterpretation . If they indirectly report the advance copy, there is more space for reinterpretation . If the speech does not differ from the advance copy, the quotation will be accurate. Inaccuracy is more likely when reporters paraphrase advance copies. (continued) Conventions of Precontextualization 253 Table F.1. (continued) Convention Description Example Reporter Freedom Report “Accuracy” Precontextualization based on “strategic leaks” Reporter quotes or indirectly reports the words of a political insider who projects what some other speaker will say or do in a future address. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell will show the United Nations evidence . . . that Iraq has worked to conceal illegal arms . . . , American officials said today. (NYT/2.5/ JPSW) If reporters quote the insider ’s words, they have little space for reinterpretation . If they indirectly report an insider’s assertion , they have freedom to filter this speech through their own ideological prism. Even when reporters quote government officials verbatim, they still rely on hearsay accounts of what will be said, and increase the likelihood that their report will be inaccurate. When they paraphrase leaks, there is even more space for inaccuracy, since they are not only relying on hearsay accounts, but also infusing these accounts with their own values. Precontextualization based on speculation Reporter independently projects what a speaker will say or do in a future address without consulting or referencing any “official source.” [Powell] may attempt to suggest that there has been a link between Iraq and terrorist groups. (NBC SR/2.5/RB). Reporters have significant freedom to imagine what a speaker will say and construe this speech “in their own words.” Inaccuracy is quite possible , but reporters can mitigate this by modalizing claims, or by keeping predictions general or obvious. ...