Structural and functional characteristics of the tabloid misinforming headlines (based on “the sun” articles analysis)

Abstract

The article focuses on misinformation used in a tabloid headline in structural and functional aspects. Tabloid has always been one of the most popular forms of media, both printed and online, where misinforming headlines serve as an effective means of drawing the audience’s attention. Theoretical basis of the problem dealt with in the article is presented in the classification of misinforming headlines, elaborated by A.S. Podchasov, as well as in works on media linguistics and media language ofby T.G. Dobrosklonskaya and K.Yu. Ovcharenko. Material for the study was obtained from the online version of “The Sun”, one of the most popular British tabloids, which circulates in both printed and online formats. The text selected for the article is analyzed structurally (on the level of index page headline, main headline, lede, main text and illustrations) and semantically (whence key verbal and non-verbal elements will be interpreted from the prospective of their meaning in the context of the headline and the text). In the course of analysis we compare the meaning formed by the headline to the meaning formed at the textual level. Thus, presence and type of misinformation found in the headline of the given text is identified.