THE ROLE OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE PORTRAYAL OF CRIME EVENT REPORTS IN PAKISTANI NEWSPAPER THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17221828

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of crime news event reports in The Express Tribune using Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar, with a focus on circumstantial elements. Circumstantial features are frequently overlooked in systemic functional studies as secondary to participants and processes. The present studydemonstrates that the circumstancesplay a crucial role in shaping crime news discourse and creating meaning. Using AntConc and the UAM Corpus Tool, an analysis of 100 crime reports revealed that The Express Tribune selectively employs circumstantial details to prioritize concise reporting, often simplifying complex crime events.These linguistic choices demonstrate how the newspaper's reporting tactics present crime as isolated incidents rather than contextually detailed events. The findings of the research showed  that contextual meanings are conveyed through circumstantial elements in Pakistani crime news events. The results highlight how important circumstantialelements are for providing context, clarification, and possibly even altering audience perception.The study identifies selective use of circumstantial elements that may influence reader perceptions.Additionally, the results suggestthat a broader awareness of circumstantial evidence can encourage more thorough and objective reporting techniques.