Semantic Relationships and Journalistic Genres

Semantic Relationships

Semantic relationships are relationships that develop between the words, given the signifier and signified.

Synonymy

Synonymy occurs if two or more signifiers correspond to the same meaning.

• Total synonymy: Occurs when two or more words are interchangeable in all contexts.
• Partial synonymy: When two or more terms have the same meaning, but there are nuances among them.

Antonymy

Antonymy is the oppositional relationship of meaning between two or more terms. There are three types:

• Gradual words: There is a word in between (e.g., expensive-cheap, affordable exists).
• Complementary words: The meaning of one term excludes the meaning of another (e.g., approved-failed).
• Reciprocal words: The meaning of one term implies the existence of another (e.g., grandfather-grandson).

Polysemous Words

Polysemous words are those that have two or more meanings that relate to each other.

Homonyms

Homonyms are words of different origins that have coincided in form. There are two types:

• Homographs: Written and pronounced the same.
• Homophones: Pronounced the same but spelled differently.

Paronymous Words

Paronymous words are pronounced similarly but not identically.

Journalistic Genres

Opinion Article

An opinion article is a newspaper article in which the author expresses their personal views on a topical issue. It presents an expository-argumentative structure. It consists of an introduction, development, and conclusion. The theme is free. It has a lively style and clear language. It is written in the first person. The intention is to disseminate the author's opinion on a subject and make readers think about a current event.

Personal Column

Within the opinion article genre is the personal column. It is a space reserved in newspapers for renowned authors who are concerned with a specific topic. We can say that this genre is a cross between journalism and literature.

Hyponyms and Hyperonyms

Hyponyms are words whose meaning is included within a more general term, which is called the hyperonym.

Editorial

An editorial is unsigned. It is structured into an introduction, argumentative body, and conclusion, combining exposition. The intention is to reflect the ideological line of the newspaper before a significant event to date. The style is clear and formal. It is written in the third person.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are a space in which readers can express their views. The recipient of these letters is the editor. The topics are varied (e.g., allegations of unfair situations). The letters are signed with the name of the author. Often, a standard language and structure are used, generally expository-argumentative. The extension of the letter is brief (no more than 30 lines are accepted).