The Language of Museum Communication

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 1-22

3. Theoretical Background

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 23-62

4. Materials and Data

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 63-71

5. Methodology

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 73-96

6. Lexical Change of Museum Press Releases

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 97-129

7. Structural Change of Museum Press Releases

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 131-150

8. Evolution of Exhibition Titles

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 151-163

9. Newly Emerged Museum Genres

   • Cecilia Lazzeretti

   Pages 165-215

10. Conclusions

    • Cecilia Lazzeretti

    Pages 217-227

11. Back Matter

    Pages 229-270

    PDF

This volume explores the evolution of the language of museum communication from 1950 to the present day, focusing on its most salient tool, the press release. The analysis is based on a corpus of press releases issued by eight high-profile British and American museums, and has been carried out adopting corpus linguistics and genre analysis methodologies. After identifying the typical features of the museum press release, new media more recently adopted by museums, such as web presentations, blogs, e-news, and social media, are taken into consideration, exploring questions such as how has the language of museum communication changed in order to face the challenge posed by new technologies? Are museum press releases threatened by new approaches used in contemporary public relations? Are the typical press release features still detectable in new genres? Drawing on insights from linguistics, discourse analysis, and museum communication this book will be of great value to researchers and practitioners of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and museum communication scholars.

• Social Media
• Discourse Analysis
• Corpus Linguistics
• Lexis
• Diachronic Studies
• arts
• corporate communication
• cultural policy
• culture
• diachronic
• diachronic perspective
• discourse
• linguistics
• media
• media studies
• Museum
• policy
• public relations
• sociolinguistics

“Press releases and the wonderful world of art: two of the most fascinating interactional arenas united in a single volume. With an innovative historical perspective, to boot. Cecilia Lazzeretti’s book is a great addition to the study of professional discourse.” (Geert Jacobs, Professor, Ghent University, Belgium)

“Cecilia Lazzeretti’s study highlights the complex cultural work involved in the discursive practices of museum communication. Taking a longitudinal approach, the research traces the evolution of the museum press release since the 1950s, identifying key discursive traits and the changes they have undergone over the period under the joint pressures of changing cultural attitudes and technological innovation. The methodological synergy between qualitative and quantitative methodologies enhances the robustness of the findings, paving the way for the investigation of current and emerging trends in museum communication.” (Paola Catenaccio, Associate Professor, University of Milan, Italy)

• Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

  Cecilia Lazzeretti

Cecilia Lazzeretti is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. As a freelance journalist and press officer for an art institution, Fondazione Fotografia Modena, she is professionally involved in the media community. Her research interest concerns corpus linguistics, discourse analysis and genre studies, with a specific focus on the genre of art press releases.

Policies and ethics