LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES IN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES: A FUNCTIONAL AND DISCURSIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study offers a nuanced examination of the linguistic strategies embedded in newspaper headlines and their influential role in shaping public perception. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the research investigates how lexical selection, grammatical structuring, and rhetorical devices operate as meaning-making resources within the constrained space of headlines. Adopting a qualitative analytical approach, the study explores how language is strategically condensed to maximize informational density, capture reader attention, and subtly guide interpretation. The findings reveal that headlines systematically employ dynamic verbs, evaluative and emotive lexis, as well as figurative expressions to construct compelling and cognitively engaging narratives. In addition, syntactic reduction and structural economy enhance readability while simultaneously foregrounding particular aspects of events. Contextual framing further contributes to the shaping of audience attitudes by embedding implicit perspectives within seemingly concise statements. Overall, the study argues that newspaper headlines function not merely as neutral summaries of news events, but as carefully crafted discursive constructs that actively participate in the production, mediation, and circulation of meaning in contemporary media discourse.