Pursuing Answers to Questions in Broadcast Journalism

When an individual issues a question, an answer is normatively expected. If an answer is not produced, the questioner may pursue it. However, sometimes it is not the absence of an answer that is at issue but whether that answer is deemed adequate (i.e., fitted to the action and/or topical agenda set...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research on language and social interaction 2013-04, Vol.46 (2), p.144-164
Main Author: Romaniuk, Tanya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Broadcasting
Debate
Interpersonal Communication
Journalism
Questions
Responses
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:When an individual issues a question, an answer is normatively expected. If an answer is not produced, the questioner may pursue it. However, sometimes it is not the absence of an answer that is at issue but whether that answer is deemed adequate (i.e., fitted to the action and/or topical agenda set by the question). Broadcast interactions (e.g., news interviews, political debates) are a perspicuous environment for investigating sequences in which responses to questions are provided but not always treated as answers. This article investigates how pursuits of answers are designed and what they accomplish within such contexts. Three key elements of a pursuit's design are described: namely, its recognizability as a pursuit; its fittedness to the previous response; and its sanctioning implications. The analysis sheds light on a central means by which individuals can hold others accountable for responding and by which a specific form of trouble in question-answer sequences is repaired.
ISSN:0835-1813
1532-7973
DOI:10.1080/08351813.2013.780339