A Visual Grammar Analysis of a Time Magazine Cover Photo in the Framework of Multimodal Discourse Approach

Year 2024, Volume: 20 Issue: 1, 55 - 72, 09.01.2024

Merve Tosun , Filiz Çetintaş Yıldırım

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Time Magazine cover photo of BioNTech co-founders, together with the accompanying "Vaccine Revolution” text, using Kress and Van Leeuwen's (2006) Visual Grammar theory. In this study, the qualitative analysis method is applied. The sample of the research is the cover photo published on January 3rd, 2021. From the analysis, it is concluded that the participants have been represented at the same level as the reader, rather than being represented as superior. The relationships built between characters and the audience reinforce the identities depicted. In addition, the magazine cover photo and the central framing of the “Vaccine Revolution” text within the borders contribute to the overall structure of multimodal discourse.

Keywords

Multimodal discourse analysis, Multimodal texts, Visual grammar analysis

Çok Ortamlı Söylem Çözümlemesi Çerçevesinde Time Dergisi Kapak Fotoğrafının Görsel Dilbilgisi Çözümlemesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, BioNTech kurucularının Time Dergisi kapağında “Aşı Devrimi” metni ile birlikte yayınlanan fotoğraflarının Kress ve Van Leeuwen’in (2006) Görsel Dilbilgisi Kuramı çerçevesinde incelenmesidir. Çalışmada, nitel çözümleme yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Çalışmanın veri tabanını, 3 Ocak 2021 tarihinde yayınlanan kapak fotoğrafı oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmanın bulgularına göre, fotoğrafın katılımcıları ve izleyiciler aynı düzeyde temsil edilmekte; katılımcılar izleyicilerden daha üstün olarak gösterilmemektedir. Katılımcılar ve izleyiciler arasında kurulan ilişkiler iki tarafın kimliklerini temsil etmektedir. Ek olarak, dergi kapağı fotoğrafı ve fotoğrafın sınırları içerisinde verilen “Aşı Devrimi” metni çok ortamlı söylem yapılanmasını desteklemektedir.

Keywords

Çok ortamlı söylem çözümlemesi, Çok ortamlı metinler, Görsel dilbilgisi çözümlemesi

References

• Bell, P. And Milic, M. (2002). Goffman’s gender advertisements revisited: Combining content analysis with semiotic analysis. Visual Communication, 1(2), 203-222.
• Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (2009). A grammar of multimodality. International Journal of Learning, 16(2), 361-425.
• Dai, S. L. (2017). On the relationship of different modalities in multimodal discourse. Foreign Language Research, 6, 1-7.
• Eggins, S. (2004). An introduction to systemic functional linguistics (2nd ed.). Continuum.
• Hall, E. (1964). Silent assumptions in social communication. Disorders of communication, 42, 41-55.
• Hall, E. T. (1966) The hidden dimension. The Anchor Books.
• Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. Edward Arnold.
• Halliday, M. A. K. (1989). An introduction to functional grammar. Oxford University Press.
• Halliday, M. A. K. (2009). Language and society: Volume 10. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Hu, Z. L. (2007). Multimodalization in social semiotics. Language Teaching and Research, 1, 1-10.
• Huang, G. W., & Liao, H. Q. (2008). Function and interactive mode of tv interview program. Foreign Languages Research, 4, 1-9.
• Jewitt, C. and Oyama, R. (2001). Visual meaning: A social semiotic approach. In T. Van Leeuwen and C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of visual analysis. Sage, pp.134-156.
• Jewitt, C. (ed.) (2009). The Routledge handbook of multimodal analysis. Routledge.
• Kadman, N. (2001). Pragmatics. Blackwell.
• Kress, G. and Van Leeuwen, T. (1996). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge.
• Kress, G. and Van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading images: The grammar of visual design (2nd ed). Routledge.
• Machin, D. (2007). Introduction to multimodal analysis. London: Hodder Arnold.
• O’Halloran, K. L. (2011). Multimodal discourse analysis. In K. Hyland, & B. Paltridge (Eds.), Companion to discourse (pp. 120-137). Continuum.
• O'Toole, M. (2010). The language of displayed art (2nd ed). Routledge.
• Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse analysis: An introduction (2nd ed). Blomsbury Academic.
• Ping, K. (2018). A visual grammar analysis of Lesaffre’s website. Advances in language and literary studies. 9(6), pp.38-41.
• The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60-93.
• The New London Group. (2000). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. In Cope and M. Kalantzis (Eds.). Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures. Routledge, (pp. 9-38).
• Tian, H. L., & Zhang, X. J. (2013). Meanings in images and ideologies of media：A multimodal discourse analysis. Foreign Language Research, 2, 1-6.
• Uçar, A. (2014). Gülmece ve gülme kaynağı olarak sözcük oyunları. Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 11(1), 17-43.
• Ye, Q. C. (2006). A social semiotic analysis of hypertext’s multimodality. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 6, 437-442.
• Zhu, Y. S. (2007). Theory and methodology of multimodal discourse analysis. Foreign Language Research, 5, 82-86.