Адаптирането на езика в медиите с цел достъпна комуникация: концепцията за обикновения език (Plain Language)
Adapting Language in the Media for Accessible Communication: The Concept of Plain Language

Author(s): Andreana Eftimova
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Media studies, Communication studies
Published by: Факултет по журналистика и масова комуникация, Софийски университет „Св. Кл. Охридски”
Keywords: accessible communication; language tailoring; media; plain language (PL); writing guides
Summary/Abstract: The article examines the theoretical understanding of the need to model plain language (PL), providing accessible communication. The problems on which the researchers are working are presented: the essence and peculiarities of PL, its status in the context of other language variants. Principles for adapting speech in PL are outlined, and their application to writing guides produced by media and news agencies is discussed. A review of general audience writing guidelines in two public electronic media and one news agency shows that partially described internal standards for accessible communication are in practice. However, there is a lack of a consistent and unified description of strategies for making the language accessible to a wide audience. Therefore, the modeling of PL and the preparation of descriptions and guidelines for the implementation of this language variety can, on the one hand, benefit from the results in the research of conversational and oral communication, and on the other hand, regulate the efforts to achieve accessible communication of the institutions and the media with citizens. The article examines the theoretical understanding of the need to model plain language (PL), providing accessible communication. The problems on which the researchers are working are presented: the essence and peculiarities of PL, its status in the context of other language variants. Principles for adapting speech in PL are outlined, and their application to writing guides produced by media and news agencies is discussed. A review of general audience writing guidelines in two public electronic media and one news agency shows that partially described internal standards for accessible communication are in practice. However, there is a lack of a consistent and unified description of strategies for making the language accessible to a wide audience. Therefore, the modeling of PL and the preparation of descriptions and guidelines for the implementation of this language variety can, on the one hand, benefit from the results in the research of conversational and oral communication, and on the other hand, regulate the efforts to achieve accessible communication of the institutions and the media with citizens.The article examines the theoretical understanding of the need to model plain language (PL), providing accessible communication. The problems on which the researchers are working are presented: the essence and peculiarities of PL, its status in the context of other language variants. Principles for adapting speech in PL are outlined, and their application to writing guides produced by media and news agencies is discussed. A review of general audience writing guidelines in two public electronic media and one news agency shows that partially described internal standards for accessible communication are in practice. However, there is a lack of a consistent and unified description of strategies for making the language accessible to a wide audience. Therefore, the modeling of PL and the preparation of descriptions and guidelines for the implementation of this language variety can, on the one hand, benefit from the results in the research of conversational and oral communication, and on the other hand, regulate the efforts to achieve accessible communication of the institutions and the media with citizens. The article examines the theoretical understanding of the need to model plain language (PL), providing accessible communication. The problems on which the researchers are working are presented: the essence and peculiarities of PL, its status in the context of other language variants. Principles for adapting speech in PL are outlined, and their application to writing guides produced by media and news agencies is discussed. A review of general audience writing guidelines in two public electronic media and one news agency shows that partially described internal standards for accessible communication are in practice. However, there is a lack of a consistent and unified description of strategies for making the language accessible to a wide audience. Therefore, the modeling of PL and the preparation of descriptions and guidelines for the implementation of this language variety can, on the one hand, benefit from the results in the research of conversational and oral communication, and on the other hand, regulate the efforts to achieve accessible communication of the institutions and the media with citizens.

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