Exploring Language Trends in Romanian Local Online Mass Media

This paper examines the characteristics of online language in Romania's local and regional press, focusing on the period from 2018 to 2023. Specifically, we analyzed three online publications from Arad: Jurnal arădean (Aradon), Special Arad, and Critic Arad. The study offers a comparative investigation of the regional press in Arad, my hometown, which also providing broader insights into trends within the Romanian local and regional press. The research draws heavily on the author's 34 years of experience in Romanian regional journalism. Personal examples are included, not as prescriptive models but as illustrative viewpoints that aim to deepen the understanding of the topics discussed. Using a qualitative approach - primarily discourse analysis - we sought to identify language and stylistic errors in the journalistic content. Our findings point to a worrying trend: the decline in the quality of journalistic language. Furthermore, we noticed a growing tendency to prioritize pseudo-events and sensational topics related to individuals' private lives, often expressed through casual, everyday language.