Overview
- Traces the historical development of the language adopted by museums in their communication with the public
- Explores how technological advances and the rise of social media have influenced museum communication since the 1950s
- Uses corpus linguistics and genre-analysis methodologies to identify the typical features of the museum press release
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About this book
This volume explores the evolution of the language of museum communication from 1950 to the present day, focusing on its most salient tool, the press release. The analysis is based on a corpus of press releases issued by eight high-profile British and American museums, and has been carried out adopting corpus linguistics and genre analysis methodologies. After identifying the typical features of the museum press release, new media more recently adopted by museums, such as web presentations, blogs, e-news, and social media, are taken into consideration, exploring questions such as how has the language of museum communication changed in order to face the challenge posed by new technologies? Are museum press releases threatened by new approaches used in contemporary public relations? Are the typical press release features still detectable in new genres? Drawing on insights from linguistics, discourse analysis, and museum communication this book will be of great value to researchers and practitioners of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and museum communication scholars.
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Keywords
Table of contents (9 chapters)
Reviews
“Press releases and the wonderful world of art: two of the most fascinating interactional arenas united in a single volume. With an innovative historical perspective, to boot. Cecilia Lazzeretti’s book is a great addition to the study of professional discourse.” (Geert Jacobs, Professor, Ghent University, Belgium)
“Cecilia Lazzeretti’s study highlights the complex cultural work involved in the discursive practices of museum communication. Taking a longitudinal approach, the research traces the evolution of the museum press release since the 1950s, identifying key discursive traits and the changes they have undergone over the period under the joint pressures of changing cultural attitudes and technological innovation. The methodological synergy between qualitative and quantitative methodologies enhances the robustness of the findings, paving the way for the investigation of current and emerging trends in museum communication.” (Paola Catenaccio, Associate Professor, University of Milan, Italy)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Cecilia Lazzeretti is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. As a freelance journalist and press officer for an art institution, Fondazione Fotografia Modena, she is professionally involved in the media community. Her research interest concerns corpus linguistics, discourse analysis and genre studies, with a specific focus on the genre of art press releases.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Language of Museum Communication
Book Subtitle: A Diachronic Perspective
Authors: Cecilia Lazzeretti
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57149-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-57148-9Published: 22 November 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-57149-6Published: 08 September 2016
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVI, 270
Topics: Discourse Analysis, Media Studies, Linguistics, general, Cultural Policy and Politics, Sociolinguistics, Corporate Communication/Public Relations