Importance of language in communication or How it is different from daily, literary and scientific language

JOURNALISTIC LANGUAGE

Language has a special significance in journalism. Language is concerned with the exact manner in which words and phrases are presented in writing. It includes abbreviations, capitalization, compounding and other details of the written language.
The language which is used in journalism for conveying latest and up-to-date information to the people by the simplest, easy and neutral ways is called journalistic language. Journalism is an important source of communication through which we transfer news items, information, knowledge to the large group of people. For this purpose, it is necessary to use easy and simple language. That’s why it is also called language of mass communication and language of people.

Characteristics of Journalistic Language

2. Simple and Easy :
Simple and easy language is necessary for journalism because the basic purpose of journalism is to inform the people at large without any distinction, of literate and illiterate person, which cannot be possible without simple and easy language and this is the major quality of journalistic language also.

2. Unbiased :
In journalistic language, we convey knowledge and transfer information without any expression and personal feelings, for example, in news bulletin on television, news are presented without personal opinion of newscaster (who reads the news in news bulletin) In newspapers, reporters do not add their expressions and feelings while writing the report of any event.

3. Brevity :
Brevity means briefness. In journalistic language, we write news and report briefly and to the point, without adding unnecessary details.

4. Broadness :
Journalistic language is different from other languages due to its broadness. It means that journalistic language covers all topics either these are social, religious, political or educational, it has the capacity to explain all topics and their problems. As we see in newspapers that newspapers give full coverage to all topics like political, social, religious, showbiz, crimes, business etc. while other languages cover limited area of their concern.

5. Seriousness :
In journalistic language, facts are described in serious ways without any fictional touch as we do in literary language.

6. Awareness :
The basic purpose of journalistic language is to convey and transfer the knowledge, information to the large group of people as they are. So this quality of journalistic language creates awareness among the people and make them to solve their problems themselves.

7. Area of Communication :
Journalistic language has unlimited area of communication because it is for the general people. That’s why, it is simple and easy for general people’s understanding.

8. Objectivity :
Objectiveness means to describe the event or thing “as it is” without any exaggeration and unnecessary details. And this quality is also an important element of journalistic language.

9. Language of Mass Communication :
Journalistic language is for the general people. On the other side, mass communication means to communicate with the large group of people. In short, journalistic language is important source of mass communication, that’s why it is called the language of mass communication.

10. Realism :
Realism means realness and reality. In journalistic language, things are described in realistic meaning.

11. Representation :
Journalistic language is representative of all classes of society. It represents all types of people also because every class reads newspapers.

12. Politeness :
In journalism, politeness of language is necessary in respect of drawing attention of general people. Otherwise, difficult words cannot attract the attention of people.

13. Usage of Grammar :
In journalistic language, the correct usage of grammar is necessary, otherwise, it will create bad impression on people. Proper and correct usage of tenses like past, present and future is also important.

14. Avoid Complicated and Unfamiliar Words :
In journalistic language, we do not use complicated and unfamiliar words for general people’s understanding.

15. Avoid Difficult Terms :
Journalism needs simple and easy language. And a journalist do take care about this factor by using simple words and avoid difficult terms while writing a report because he/she knows that report is for all and not for any specific group so he/she translates himself/herself the complicated and difficult terms into the simple words.

16. Short Sentences :
Journalistic language is based on short and easy sentences for people’s understanding because it is meant for all.

17. A Bridge Between the Government and the People :
As we have said that journalistic language is representative of all classes of society and all types of people and represent their problems in easy and understandable way. By this function, journalistic language fills up a gap between government and the people while explaining the problems of both and making them well informed about each others problems. While other languages do not have this function which journalistic
language has.

18. Role of Journalistic Language in the Development :
Journalistic language plays very important role in all types of developments like social development by informing the people and government about their social problems and by presenting the solution of these problems. In similar way, journalistic language plays an important role in the political, educational, religious and scientific developments, due to its vastness.