Merja Koskela | University of Vaasa (original) (raw)

Papers by Merja Koskela

Inspired by the development of digital communication, listed companies are constantly developing ... more Inspired by the development of digital communication, listed companies are constantly developing new ways to serve and attract interested audiences on their Investor Relations websites. This paper focuses on the types and variety of multimodal semiotic resources employed on Investor Relations websites of Finnish listed companies with specific focus on the use of videos. The aim of the paper is to explore how videos are used, what form they take and which affordances they offer as a presentation form from the perspective of financial communication. The data is derived from the IR websites of three Finnish industrial companies. The results of the study show that the three companies have somewhat different numbers of videos on their IR websites, but the most common type of video, a webcast announcing periodic results of the companies is the same for all companies. The webcasts seem to have an established format combining audio, still pictures or video with PowerPoint slides embedded on...

Actas De V Congreso Internacional Aelfe Archivo De Ordenador Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe Conference 2006 Isbn 84 7733 846 9 Pags 215 219, 2006

In this article we will study the rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finn... more In this article we will study the rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finnish business newspapers, Financial Times, Dagens Industri, and Taloussanomat. Our aim is to find out if there is a typical rhetorical structure for the editorials and if there are different types. Our analysis shows that the typical rhetorical structure for the editorials includes an introduction section, an intermediate section and a coda. When there is variation it concerns two stages of the rhetorical structure, i.e. the solution and the moral.

Corporate disclosure policy is a genre in which listed companies declare their principles for inf... more Corporate disclosure policy is a genre in which listed companies declare their principles for informing stakeholders about, e.g., their financial situation and organizational changes. The policy forms an essential part of a company’s Investor Relations (IR) communication and is directed by regulations worldwide dictating what information companies must release and when. By means of disclosure policies (DP), companies brief their personnel on the principles of releasing IR-related information, but they also seize the opportunity to attempt to maintain trust and influence the behavior of investors and other stakeholders. The balancing between normative constraints and other communicative purposes may cause generic variation, even though the context of the genre is stable. This paper focuses on how companies declare their principles of disclosure. Through intertextual and discourse analysis, we explore variation in disclosure policies, and conclude which social practices the policy enacts in the sense of Martin’s (2002) definition of genres as “configurations of meaning that are recurrently phased together to enact social practices”. In a stable genre, variation may carry more meaning than in more heterogeneous genres. Therefore, the starting point of the analysis is Bhatia’s multidimensional approach to genre, emphasizing the social context of the genre and accounting for both social relationships and textual aspects.

Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 2009

Inference in science and popular science Merja Koskela 1. Background Scientific and popular scien... more Inference in science and popular science Merja Koskela 1. Background Scientific and popular scientific texts form an interesting basis for com-parison because they effectively reflect the problems we encounter every day due to the increasing specialization in our society. It seems, for ...

Zusammenfassung In diesem Vortrag haben wir die Makrostruktur von neun Geschäftsberichten aus Fin... more Zusammenfassung In diesem Vortrag haben wir die Makrostruktur von neun Geschäftsberichten aus Finnland, Deutschland und Schweden studiert. Die Geschäftsberichte stammen aus drei Industrie- branschen: die Papierindustrie, die pharmazeutische Industrie und die Metallindustrie. Unsere Arbeit setzt sich zum Ziel, die möglichen Differenzen in den Konventionen der Geschäftsberichte in verschiedenen Ländern und Industriebranchen zu beschreiben und diskutieren. Unsere Arbeit basiert auf den Empfehlungen zur jährlichen Ermittlung des besten Geschäftsberichtes im Schweden. Die Empfehlungen betreffenden das Inhalt, das graphische Layout und die Sprache der Geschäftsberichte. Deswegen konzentriert auch sich unser Beitrag auf die Makrostruktur der Geschäftsberichten. Wir versuchen die Ursachen für Variation zu diskutieren.

Discourse & Communication, 2013

lipas.uwasa.fi

The language of multimedia is a rapidly developing and expanding area of language use, which in t... more The language of multimedia is a rapidly developing and expanding area of language use, which in the Nordic countries is mainly based on translations. The language of multimedia forms a special challenge for a translator because there is a lack of commonly accepted conventions for ...

Fachsprache, 2010

Decisions made by authorities form sections of intertextual chains that run from the preparation ... more Decisions made by authorities form sections of intertextual chains that run from the preparation phase of an issue until the public is informed, and further when the public starts to discuss it (see Fairclough 1992). The chain consists of many types of texts with different ...

In: Puolin ja toisin: Suomalais-virolaista kielentutkimusta. AFinLAn vuosikirja 1998 (On Both Sid... more In: Puolin ja toisin: Suomalais-virolaista kielentutkimusta. AFinLAn vuosikirja 1998 (On Both Sides: Finnish-Estonian Research on Language. AFinLA Yearbook 1998); see FL 025 589. Paper presented at "Linguistics in Estonia and Finland: Crossing the Gulf" Symposium (Tallinn, ...

… Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe …, 2007

Katajamäki, Heli & Koskela, Merja (2006). The rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swed... more Katajamäki, Heli & Koskela, Merja (2006). The rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finnish business newspapers. Teoksessa Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe Conference. Actas del V Congreso International AELFE. Prensas Universitarias de ...

ABSTRACT Summary: Theme and rheme in scientific and popular scientific text. Diss. -- Vaasan ylio... more ABSTRACT Summary: Theme and rheme in scientific and popular scientific text. Diss. -- Vaasan yliopisto.

Disclosure policy is a genre that describes how listed companies define their operating principle... more Disclosure policy is a genre that describes how listed companies define their operating principles and
procedures for communication with the capital markets. The focus of this article is on expressions
describing the communicative purpose of these documents. In Finnish companies’ disclosure policies
explicit expressions of the purpose of the document seem to form a rhetorical move. In this article, these
expressions are studied and their potential rhetorical function is discussed in relation to how they intend
to inform, persuade and/or convince the readers, i.e. in terms of ethos, pathos, and logos. The material of
the study consists of 12 disclosure policies from Finnish companies published on their websites in English.
The results of the analysis show that the expressions of purpose are highly intertextual in relation to
each other as well as in relation to the rules and regulations governing the genre. The main rhetorical
function of the expressions seems to be not to inform the readers of what they are reading, but rather to
convince them of the expertise and trustworthiness of the company.

In science journalism the features of scientific discourse and journalistic discourse meet. From ... more In science journalism the features of scientific discourse and journalistic discourse meet. From this meeting evolves yet another type of discourse, a popular scientific one. Popular scientific discourse on its part comprises different kinds of information on science that is directed to a non-professional readership. In the present paper ways of representing specialized knowledge in science journalism are discussed, and articles from two newspapers are analyzed with respect to expression level means of popularization (e.g. choice of words, the use of metaphors) and text level means of popularization (e.g. telling stories, the use of examples). The results of the analysis show that specialized knowledge is mainly presented in a neutral journalistic language, but emotive and connotative language as well as metaphors are used in order to make science interesting, entertaining, and understandable. Additionally, telling a story, personalization, and examples are used as ways of representing specialized knowledge, which shows that popularization is not only a linguistic question, but also, a question of the choice of facts in order to meet the needs and interests of the audience.

Inspired by the development of digital communication, listed companies are constantly developing ... more Inspired by the development of digital communication, listed companies are constantly developing new ways to serve and attract interested audiences on their Investor Relations websites. This paper focuses on the types and variety of multimodal semiotic resources employed on Investor Relations websites of Finnish listed companies with specific focus on the use of videos. The aim of the paper is to explore how videos are used, what form they take and which affordances they offer as a presentation form from the perspective of financial communication. The data is derived from the IR websites of three Finnish industrial companies. The results of the study show that the three companies have somewhat different numbers of videos on their IR websites, but the most common type of video, a webcast announcing periodic results of the companies is the same for all companies. The webcasts seem to have an established format combining audio, still pictures or video with PowerPoint slides embedded on...

Actas De V Congreso Internacional Aelfe Archivo De Ordenador Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe Conference 2006 Isbn 84 7733 846 9 Pags 215 219, 2006

In this article we will study the rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finn... more In this article we will study the rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finnish business newspapers, Financial Times, Dagens Industri, and Taloussanomat. Our aim is to find out if there is a typical rhetorical structure for the editorials and if there are different types. Our analysis shows that the typical rhetorical structure for the editorials includes an introduction section, an intermediate section and a coda. When there is variation it concerns two stages of the rhetorical structure, i.e. the solution and the moral.

Corporate disclosure policy is a genre in which listed companies declare their principles for inf... more Corporate disclosure policy is a genre in which listed companies declare their principles for informing stakeholders about, e.g., their financial situation and organizational changes. The policy forms an essential part of a company’s Investor Relations (IR) communication and is directed by regulations worldwide dictating what information companies must release and when. By means of disclosure policies (DP), companies brief their personnel on the principles of releasing IR-related information, but they also seize the opportunity to attempt to maintain trust and influence the behavior of investors and other stakeholders. The balancing between normative constraints and other communicative purposes may cause generic variation, even though the context of the genre is stable. This paper focuses on how companies declare their principles of disclosure. Through intertextual and discourse analysis, we explore variation in disclosure policies, and conclude which social practices the policy enacts in the sense of Martin’s (2002) definition of genres as “configurations of meaning that are recurrently phased together to enact social practices”. In a stable genre, variation may carry more meaning than in more heterogeneous genres. Therefore, the starting point of the analysis is Bhatia’s multidimensional approach to genre, emphasizing the social context of the genre and accounting for both social relationships and textual aspects.

Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 2009

Inference in science and popular science Merja Koskela 1. Background Scientific and popular scien... more Inference in science and popular science Merja Koskela 1. Background Scientific and popular scientific texts form an interesting basis for com-parison because they effectively reflect the problems we encounter every day due to the increasing specialization in our society. It seems, for ...

Zusammenfassung In diesem Vortrag haben wir die Makrostruktur von neun Geschäftsberichten aus Fin... more Zusammenfassung In diesem Vortrag haben wir die Makrostruktur von neun Geschäftsberichten aus Finnland, Deutschland und Schweden studiert. Die Geschäftsberichte stammen aus drei Industrie- branschen: die Papierindustrie, die pharmazeutische Industrie und die Metallindustrie. Unsere Arbeit setzt sich zum Ziel, die möglichen Differenzen in den Konventionen der Geschäftsberichte in verschiedenen Ländern und Industriebranchen zu beschreiben und diskutieren. Unsere Arbeit basiert auf den Empfehlungen zur jährlichen Ermittlung des besten Geschäftsberichtes im Schweden. Die Empfehlungen betreffenden das Inhalt, das graphische Layout und die Sprache der Geschäftsberichte. Deswegen konzentriert auch sich unser Beitrag auf die Makrostruktur der Geschäftsberichten. Wir versuchen die Ursachen für Variation zu diskutieren.

Discourse & Communication, 2013

lipas.uwasa.fi

The language of multimedia is a rapidly developing and expanding area of language use, which in t... more The language of multimedia is a rapidly developing and expanding area of language use, which in the Nordic countries is mainly based on translations. The language of multimedia forms a special challenge for a translator because there is a lack of commonly accepted conventions for ...

Fachsprache, 2010

Decisions made by authorities form sections of intertextual chains that run from the preparation ... more Decisions made by authorities form sections of intertextual chains that run from the preparation phase of an issue until the public is informed, and further when the public starts to discuss it (see Fairclough 1992). The chain consists of many types of texts with different ...

In: Puolin ja toisin: Suomalais-virolaista kielentutkimusta. AFinLAn vuosikirja 1998 (On Both Sid... more In: Puolin ja toisin: Suomalais-virolaista kielentutkimusta. AFinLAn vuosikirja 1998 (On Both Sides: Finnish-Estonian Research on Language. AFinLA Yearbook 1998); see FL 025 589. Paper presented at "Linguistics in Estonia and Finland: Crossing the Gulf" Symposium (Tallinn, ...

… Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe …, 2007

Katajamäki, Heli & Koskela, Merja (2006). The rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swed... more Katajamäki, Heli & Koskela, Merja (2006). The rhetorical structure of editorials in English, Swedish and Finnish business newspapers. Teoksessa Proceedings of the 5th International Aelfe Conference. Actas del V Congreso International AELFE. Prensas Universitarias de ...

ABSTRACT Summary: Theme and rheme in scientific and popular scientific text. Diss. -- Vaasan ylio... more ABSTRACT Summary: Theme and rheme in scientific and popular scientific text. Diss. -- Vaasan yliopisto.

Disclosure policy is a genre that describes how listed companies define their operating principle... more Disclosure policy is a genre that describes how listed companies define their operating principles and
procedures for communication with the capital markets. The focus of this article is on expressions
describing the communicative purpose of these documents. In Finnish companies’ disclosure policies
explicit expressions of the purpose of the document seem to form a rhetorical move. In this article, these
expressions are studied and their potential rhetorical function is discussed in relation to how they intend
to inform, persuade and/or convince the readers, i.e. in terms of ethos, pathos, and logos. The material of
the study consists of 12 disclosure policies from Finnish companies published on their websites in English.
The results of the analysis show that the expressions of purpose are highly intertextual in relation to
each other as well as in relation to the rules and regulations governing the genre. The main rhetorical
function of the expressions seems to be not to inform the readers of what they are reading, but rather to
convince them of the expertise and trustworthiness of the company.

In science journalism the features of scientific discourse and journalistic discourse meet. From ... more In science journalism the features of scientific discourse and journalistic discourse meet. From this meeting evolves yet another type of discourse, a popular scientific one. Popular scientific discourse on its part comprises different kinds of information on science that is directed to a non-professional readership. In the present paper ways of representing specialized knowledge in science journalism are discussed, and articles from two newspapers are analyzed with respect to expression level means of popularization (e.g. choice of words, the use of metaphors) and text level means of popularization (e.g. telling stories, the use of examples). The results of the analysis show that specialized knowledge is mainly presented in a neutral journalistic language, but emotive and connotative language as well as metaphors are used in order to make science interesting, entertaining, and understandable. Additionally, telling a story, personalization, and examples are used as ways of representing specialized knowledge, which shows that popularization is not only a linguistic question, but also, a question of the choice of facts in order to meet the needs and interests of the audience.