A study of the functioning of the politeness system in televised political interviews -Case of: Al Jazeera and France 24-

Abstract

The interview is an important media format that allows politicians to express their
ideas, opinions, and projects to the public. In this type of communication, the journalist asks
questions to obtain as much information as possible from the guest, which can sometimes
affect the guest’s image. This study, which belongs to the field of verbal interaction analysis,
aims to examine interviews of the Algerian president given to France 24 and Al Jazeera.
Using the politeness model developed by Brown and Levinson and later by Kerbrat-
Orecchioni, it seeks to determine whether linguistic politeness is present in this type of
potentially conflictual discourse. It also explores the strategies used by both participants to
reduce conflict and make the interaction smoother.