PRAGMATIC AND PERSUASIVE FUNCTIONS OF PUNCTUATION IN JOURNALISTIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

This article examines the pragmatic and persuasive functions of punctuation in journalistic discourse. It explores how punctuation marks in newspaper and media texts operate not only as structural devices but also as communicative tools that influence reader interpretation, emotional framing, and ideological positioning. The study demonstrates that punctuation in media discourse plays a significant role in highlighting information, guiding inferential processes, and enhancing persuasive impact. Using qualitative discourse-analytic methods, the research reveals that punctuation contributes to the construction of meaning and the regulation of reader engagement in contemporary journalistic communication.