The Functionality of Pragmatic Markers in Piers Morgan's Interview with Bassim Yousif on The Aqsa Flood

Pragmatic markers are essential for structuring speech, regulating interaction, and affecting audience perception in political interviews. That is, misunderstanding pragmatic markers would cause difficulty for the audience in understanding the speaker’s intended meaning. To this end, this qualitative study investigates the functionality of pragmatic markers in Piers Morgan's political interview with Bassim Yousif on the Israel-Gaza War, the Aqsa Flood. This study aimed to explore the types and functions of pragmatic markers used in the selected interview. The classification of the types of pragmatic markers was based on Fraser's (2009) classification, while their pragmatic functions were analyzed using Brinton's (1996) classification. The study thoroughly explains how these markers contribute to effective communication by examining both aspects. The research examines pragmatic markers, such as discourse and position markers, to tackle sensitive topics, maintain credibility, and strengthen relationships used by the interviewer and interviewees. The selected political interview utilized more pragmatic markers at the discourse level than others at the sentence level. These markers would contribute to our understanding of how pragmatic markers connect their speeches and organize their talks to maintain coherence. This indicates that pragmatic markers of the discourse performed more functions than other types of pragmatic markers. The study’s findings would enhance a comprehensive understanding of media discourse and political communication strategies.