Simple language in discourse: the meaning and acceptance of public service news in "simplified language" (PhD project)
Due to various legal adjustments in favour of the rights of people with disabilities, more and more services have been established in Germany with the aim of accessibility, including in the area of language (see Rink, 2020: 29f., see UN-BRK, 2009, see BGG, 2016, see MStV, 2022). However, research into public acceptance or rejection of plain and simple language, particularly with regard to news, remains a desideratum. However, gaining acceptance is necessary for democratic societies in many respects (cf. Lucke, 1996: 478f.). The research work examines the question of which opinions are expressed with regard to simplifiednews on the Internet, which language ideologies underlie them and how acceptance or rejection of simplified news is expressed as a result. "Acceptance and non-acceptance are articulated [...] primarily in the medium of language" (Lucke, 1995: 341).
Deutschlandfunk (DLF) has been publishingnews regularly for over ten yearsunder the title "nachrichtenleicht der Wochen-Rückblick in Einfacher Sprache". Plain language is characterised by a somewhat more complex linguistic style than easy language (cf. Kellermann, 2014: 7). According to Rita Vock, DLF (cf. Meyer, 2021), the plain language of the news is intended to allow editors more freedom. In addition to DLF, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) and Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) also provide news in plain or simple language at least once a week (cf. BPB, 2017). In Austria, it is ORF that presents news in easy-to-understand language (cf. Wimmer, 2021: 127). Since 12 June 2024, ARD has also been offering a daily news format in plain language, which is the subject of controversial public debate (cf. Schiffler 2024).
Communicating comprehensibly is generally a journalistic concern (cf. Schneider & Raue, 2012: 51). However, in the context of plain language, which was originally conceived in layman's terms, simplification follows a number of rules that do not correspond to common usage. This is criticised in public discussions, for example. Diekmannshenke identifies the spectre of language decay here (cf. Diekmannshenke, 2017: 115). Bock also identifies a fear of "educational and linguistic decay" among critics. In addition, easy language is implicitly or explicitly associated with a 'low level'. The simplified style is criticised, as is the lack of differentiation in terms of content and language. Target group-orientation and situation-dependent appropriateness of plain language are lost sight of (cf. Bock 2015: 9f.). There is also a lack of knowledge about the attitudes of the target group(s). The research work focusses on both in order to identify points of reference that could contribute to increasing the acceptance of simplified messages. This is because the positive perception of plain language needs to be actively worked on (cf. Bredel & Maaß, 2016: 11). Questions regarding the acceptance and rejection of plain language still remain and should be answered so that accessibility can be successful in the long term (cf. Bock, 2019: 94).
Methodologically, linguistic discourse analysis was chosen to analyse the opinions expressed and guided interviews were used to survey the target group representatives. The term discourse is used here in accordance with Michel Foucault. Foucault calls what is socially defined as true 'knowledge'. According to Foucault, there is no knowledge without "discursive practice" (cf. Foucault [1969] 1981: 260f.). "Knowledge is thus used to designate all cognitive procedures and effects that are acceptable at a certain moment and in a certain area" (Foucault [1990] 1992: 32; original emphasis). Knowledge determines how people perceive the world, themselves and others and how they act. However, knowledge also determines who has power in a society (cf. Spitzmüller, 2022: 232). According to Busse/Teubert, discourses are defined as "virtual corpora that have similarities in content" (Busse & Teubert, 1994). Social values are negotiated communicatively within them (cf. Spitzmüller, 2013: 282). Linguistic discourse analysis offers methodological access to the linguistic material (cf. Spieß, 2011: 11 f.).
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