Incorrect Punctuation as a Cause of Ambiguity in Some Selected Newspaper Headlines.
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
- To examine a sample of newspaper headlines to identify cases where punctuation is misused or inadequately employed.
- To assess how the identified instances of incorrect punctuation contribute to ambiguity in the headlines.
- To investigate how readers interpret headlines containing punctuation errors.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEWED OF RELATED LIETERATURE
INTRODUCTION
People’s utterance can be viewed from various perspectives. The same sentence uttered by somebody can have different meanings. The meaning of an utterance, at times can go beyond the surface meaning of the sentence. Consider the simple sentence ‘it is five o’clock’ uttered by a parent to his/her friend might mean that ‘I am worried that my son is not back yet’, even though ‘worried’ is not mentioned. It can also mean ‘Time is up’ when uttered by a teacher conducting a test for his students. Comprehensibility goes beyond knowing how to put words together in sequence to make grammatically well formed sentence. And it also involves an understanding of meaning that different from knowing the meaning of words (lexical meaning) and the meaning of syntactic features (grammatical meaning).
LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION
Sapir (1977) defines language as “a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntary produced symbols”. Block and Trager (1986:23) define language as “ a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates”, Also, Hall (1978) sees language as “the institution where human beings communicate and interact with each other” while Gimbson (1984) sees language as “ a system of conventional signals used for communication by a whole community”. Language is a universal phenomenon which aims at promoting social and peaceful co-operation and existence amongst the numerous people of the different speech communities that constitute the world. Language has thus, become an enormously powerful tool, especially in its universal range of application, because language has become and will continue to be the most subtle and powerful device man has and will ever have for controlling his environment including other people. However, language is not used to communicate meaning only but to mask it and such is the motive behind the analysis of this research in its focus on ambiguity. Communication is seen by Crystal (1977) as the transmission and reception of linguistic contents, source and receiver are interpreted in human terms, the system involved is language, and the notion of response to (or acknowledgement of) the message becomes of crucial importance. On the other hand, Dominick (1990) defines mass communication as the process by which a complex organization with the aid of one or more machine produces and transmits public messages that are directed at large, heterogeneous and scattered audiences. From the above definition, mass communication is a process of transmitting message through a mass media like newspaper, magazine, books, radio and television to large population over long distance. Mass communication often involves simultaneous contact between one sender and many receivers, allowing an immediate and extensive influence and an immediate response by many at a time (Mc Quail, 1987:32).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Incorrect Punctuation as a Cause of Ambiguity in some Selected Newspaper Headlines.. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing Incorrect Punctuation as a Cause of Ambiguity in some Selected Newspaper Headlines.
Summary
This study was on Incorrect Punctuation as a Cause of Ambiguity in some Selected Newspaper Headlines.. Three objectives were raised which included: To examine a sample of newspaper headlines to identify cases where punctuation is misused or inadequately employed, to assess how the identified instances of incorrect punctuation contribute to ambiguity in the headlines and to investigate how readers interpret headlines containing punctuation errors. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from the sun news paper, Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of correct punctuation in newspaper headlines to prevent ambiguity and ensure accurate information dissemination. The findings highlight the need for a heightened awareness of language precision among media professionals to maintain the integrity and credibility of news reporting in an era where headlines play a pivotal role in information consumption. As newsrooms strive for excellence, addressing punctuation errors becomes a fundamental step toward enhancing the overall quality of journalism.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of the study on incorrect punctuation as a cause of ambiguity in selected newspaper headlines, the following recommendations are proposed for journalists, editors, and news organizations to improve the accuracy and clarity of headline communication:
Implement regular training programs for journalists and editors focused on proper punctuation usage. These programs should cover common punctuation mistakes and provide practical exercises to enhance the skills of media professionals in headline construction.
Strengthen editorial scrutiny and proofreading processes to catch and rectify punctuation errors before headlines are published. Establish clear guidelines for the review of headlines, emphasizing the importance of precision in language use.
Leverage technology tools, such as grammar and punctuation-checking software, to assist journalists in identifying and correcting errors. Integrating these tools into the editorial workflow can serve as an additional layer of scrutiny to enhance the accuracy of headlines.
References
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