How do we feel about facts : emotionalism in newsmagazine coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's death

Abstract

The study, titled How do we feel about facts: emotionalism in newsmagazine coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, explores the construction and presentation of emotionalism in journalistic responses to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, examining 111 articles from three culturally and geographically distinct newsmagazines: Time (USA), The Economist (UK), and .týžden (Slovakia). Using content and semiotic analysis, the research investigates the textual, visual, and structural elements that contribute to emotional engagement, sentiment construction, and potential audience influence. Emotionalism is defined as the deliberate insertion of emotional cues by journalists or content creators and the reader’s interpretation of such cues within the narrative framework. The selection of three distinct newsmagazines enables cross-cultural comparison, illuminating how editorial traditions, national perspectives, and media norms shape representations of mourning, legacy, and royal symbolism. The analysis examines headline formulation, article structure, visual design, multimedia presence, authorial voice, and nuanced elements such as image color, framing, and the Queen’s prominence in photographs.The selection of three distinct newsmagazines enables cross-cultural comparison, illuminating how editorial traditions, national perspectives, and media norms shape representations of mourning, legacy, and royal symbolism. The analysis examines headline formulation, article structure, visual design, multimedia presence, authorial voice, and nuanced elements such as image color, framing, and the Queen’s prominence in photographs.This perspective provides insights into emotionalism in journalism and shows how even restrained publications employ emotional cues. It contributes to understanding of journalistic text construction and the potential influence of media on public perception during national and international mourning, with applications in media studies, journalism ethics, and cross-cultural communication. This perspective provides insights into emotionalism in journalism and shows how even restrained publications employ emotional cues. It contributes to understanding of journalistic text construction and the potential influence of media on public perception during national and international mourning, with applications in media studies, journalism ethics, and cross-cultural communication.