A CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS OF STANCE MARKERS IN PAKISTANI ENGLISH NEWS DISCOURSE

Abstract

Stance markers play a central part in how news discourse addresses the expression of evaluation, authority, and objectivity by the journalists. Their research in Pakistani English is still not exhaustive even though the variety has become more relevant globally. In this research, the frequency and pattern of stance markers in writing news in Pakistani English has been examined with the aim of understanding how news writers compromise linguistically and culturally on the issue of stance. The text of 1-million words of Pakistani English newspapers was examined through AntConc 4.0 along the model of stance offered by Hyland (2005). Qualitative contextual interpretation was used to supplement the quantitative frequency data. The results indicate that the number of epistemic and attitudinal stance markers is high, as they indicate hybrid forms of journalistic norms that incorporate Western values of neutrality and culturally-focused evaluation. The profile of the standpoint of Pakistani English journalism is defined by the social-cultural background and practical preferences, which led to the perception of the World Englishes and news discourse.