DEIXIS AND ILLOCUTION IN SPORTS MEDIA: A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF HEADLINES IN SOCCER STAR

This study looks at the practical uses of deictic phrases and illocutionary acts insports headlines, focussing on the Soccer Star daily, which is an Africanpublication that mainly covers football. In sports journalism, headlines do morethan just summarise events. They also draw readers in, make them feelsomething, and tell stories. Using Stephen Levinson's taxonomy of deixis andJohn Searle's typology of illocutionary acts, the study looks at 100 purposivelypicked headlines using qualitative content analysis. The results show thatperson deixis (such "he," "we," and "they") and temporal deixis (like "now" and"again") are the most common types of deixis employed, which helps headlinesfeel more immediate and connected to the context. Assertives and expressivesare the most common kind of illocutionary power. They are a mix of factualreporting and emotional resonance. The study also shows how deixis andillocution depend on each other, since many headlines use deictic cues to set uptheir intended communication functions. The study finds that deixis andillocution are important for writing headlines, especially in sports journalismwhere getting readers involved and being culturally aware are important. Itsuggests that journalists should be more aware of these practical tools and callsfor more research on media discourse, especially in African contexts. The studyultimately helps us understand better how language affects meaning, identity,and the experience of reading in the media.