WHEN THE FACTS DONT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES - A STUDY OF THE USE OF IRONY IN DAILY JOURNALISM

A comparison of three news stories illustrates how journalists can use irony to undercut and even reverse the literal or ostensible meaning of what is being reported. As a rhetorical device aimed at establishin g the conditions for competing interpretations of a text, irony enable s journalists to report ''the facts'' accurately and impartially while at the same time letting it be known-albeit quietly-that the facts do not ''speak for themselves.'' But by issuing its judgment quietly and discreetly, irony renders morality a strictly private matter, which i s disconcerting and arguably dysfunctional in a society where the role of the press is generally understood in terms of fostering public deb ate and discussion.