Intertextual elements in French-language media headlines about the 2024 Olympics: A linguocultural analysis

The article presents the results of our analysis of intertextual inclusion functions in the headlines of the French press during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Within the framework of intertextuality theory, it examines the role of intertextual figures – such as allusion, quotation and paraphrase – in shaping associations that activate the cultural memory and background cultural knowledge of readers. The study is based on publications from “Le Monde”, “L’Humanité”, “Libération”, “Les Echos”, “Le Figaro” and “Le Parisien”. By analyzing 700 texts, published from May to September 2024, the research identifies the mechanisms through which intertextual inclusions influence the audience perception and their emotional responses. The results indicate that the inclusion of intertextual elements in media texts serves to create interpretative resonance by appealing to the cultural experience of the reader and activating associations and memories related to previously familiar statements, events or cultural phenomena. Out of 300 identified inclusions, allusions and quotations are the most frequently used, each accounting for 20%, while paraphrases and textual applications are significantly less common, each representing only 5%. This prevalence may be attributed to the fact that allusions and quotations tend to reference well-known texts or expressions, rendering them more accessible to a broader audience compared to paraphrases and textual applications.