Conflict Talk: The Integrated Conversation Analysis Of English TV News Interviews

We live in a world of language, where talks can be found everywhere, and with the help of TV, even more patterns of talks come out. One of the popular TV programs of talks is the news interview, which is usually famous for its conflict talks. To interpret and appreciate such conflict talks, the conversation analysis, argumentation theory, media studies and social-historical factors are to be involved. As an attempt of interdisciplinary study, this thesis is to comprehend the recognition, construction, features, functions and contributing factors of conflict talks in English TV news interviews. Hardtalk is BBC's most-watched news interview program. The thesis particularly analyzes an interview of this program, chiefly the conflict talks between the combative interviewer Tim Sebastian and the famed linguist Noam Chomsky. In this thesis, careful conversation analysis, especially the study of turn-taking, adjacency pairs and preference organization systems are carried out. According to the argumentation theory, in comparison with the regular stages of argument including the initiating, maintaining and escalating, and terminating, the recognition and construction of conflict talks are explained. Consequently, its institutional features are summarized, and the functions of conflict talks are discussed. Lastly, the contributing factors of conflict talks in TV news interview are tentatively analyzed. Through careful interdisciplinary study of conflict talks in English TV news interviews, the conclusion can be reached as the following. The conflict talks in English TV news interviews are designed and guided by the interviewers. The features of conflict talks in news interviews are: there are distinctively incomplete stages of a conflict talk; in one interview there are a number of conflict talks; question-answer format is typical in conflict talks; the disparity of participants'footing; and overhearing audience for the conflict talks. The functions are that the conflict talks could entertain the public and offer a channel of simulated authentic communication with the public figures. Both the media and historical factors contribute to the conflict talks in English TV news interviews. This rewarding research can basically interpret and help the public understand and appreciate the conflict talks in the TV news interviews.