SPECIFICITY OF THE LINGUISTIC EXPRESSION OF THE EVALUATION CATEGORY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF MODERN GERMAN-LANGUAGE MEDIA DISCOURSE (BASED ON THE MATERIAL OF ANALYTICAL ARTICLES OF «HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT» 2025)

Abstract

The article examines the specifics of linguistic expression of the category of evaluation within contemporary German-language media discourse, based on analytical articles from the German newspaper «Hamburger Abendblatt» published in 2025. The media discourse of the German mass media is interpreted as a complex socio-communicative phenomenon shaped by the influence of various information platforms – print, digital, popular science, specialized, and online sources. This type of discourse is characterized by a high degree of linguistic density, constant variability, and adaptability to the current social context. Its key function is not only the prompt dissemination of information but also the evaluation of contemporary events, trends, and phenomena. It is noted that the transformation of traditional media in the digital era determines changes in the ways information is presented and activates the evaluative function as a key component of journalistic language. Particular attention in this study is paid to linguistic means of expressing evaluation – a significant category that represents the author’s subjective attitude toward a specific phenomenon, event, or person. The authors outline the theoretical framework of the problem, defining key concepts such as informational and mass discourse, media discourse, and appraisal theory. They present various approaches to the study of evaluative linguistic means, noting that linguistic evaluation can be positive or negative, explicit or implicit, and expressed through lexical units, grammatical constructions, syntactic structures, metaphors, irony, and stylistic figures. Based on the 2025 Hamburger Abendblattmaterials, the authors identify the main tendencies characteristic of evaluative expression in language, including predominant lexical resources and stylistic devices used to convey evaluation. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of evaluative mechanisms within modern German informational space and outline prospects for further linguistic research in this field.