Language of administrative press releases

This study sought to answer the question of what the language of administrative press releases is like, and how and why it has changed over the past few decades. The data included 83 press releases written between 1979 and 1999 by the City of Helsinki Public Works Department. The results can be applied to the improvement of texts produced by the authorities and even by other organizations.

The results have been cited in Language of administrative press releases (Hallinnon lehdistötiedotteiden kieli, dissertation by Salli Kankaanpää, published in 2006). The language of the releases is concrete and structurally detailed. The releases guide the residents of the city, the guiding being more persuasive in the new press releases. The rhetorical features in the releases include alliteration and metaphors, which are found in the new releases especially. The new releases also include words that are colloquial in style, making the communicative situations less official. Structurally, the releases have changed from being letter-like to a more newsflash-like format.

The changes in the releases can be explained by the development towards more professional communications and the more market-oriented ideology adopted in the communicative environment.