Constructions of Risks to Life in News Media

Name: Constructions of Risks to Life in News Media
Price: 190 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781350530638

Rakan Alibri (Tabuk University, Saudi Arabia)

$190

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Bloomsbury Academic
19 March 2026

Communication studies; Press & journalism

Series: Corpus and Discourse

This book investigates the construction of risks through discourse to provide new insights into the relationship between risk discourse and society.

It explores how British newspapers used language to discursively construct four different types of risks to life, namely terror attacks, earthquakes, road accidents, and heart attacks, between 2017 and 2020, examining what makes some risk events newsworthy, and how this relates to the way they are perceived.

The author offers new insights into risk reporting by using an approach combining theories and methodologies from corpus linguistics and critical discourse studies focusing on news values and risk perception. Through a focus on risks to life, related social actors, and consequences, he demonstrates salient discursive strategies found in risk reporting, including dramatisation, naturalisation, impersonalisation, blame, responsibility, and risk management. These strategies contribute differently to the construction of the risks and can potentially be linked to how the media amplify or attenuate risk perception in society, a consequence of media language use.

This interdisciplinary book goes beyond linguistics to engage with discussions related to media studies, e.g. the concentration of media ownership in the UK, and news values; risk literature, e.g. risk perception, sociological theories of risk, and risk communication; and the relationship between media and risk perception, and studies related to each risk.

By: Rakan Alibri (Tabuk University Saudi Arabia)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 580g
ISBN: 9781350530638
ISBN 10: 1350530638
Series: Corpus and Discourse
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 19 March 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Rakan Alibri is Assistant Professor in the Languages and Translation Department at Tabuk University, Saudi Arabia.

Reviews for Constructions of Risks to Life in News Media

In his pathbreaking book, Rakan Alibri unpacks how British newspapers amplify dramatic risks like terror attacks and earthquakes while downplaying everyday dangers such as road accidents and heart disease. Combining linguistic and discourse analysis he reveals how the media influences what we fear — and why responsible reporting matters. * Jens O. Zinn, University of Melbourne, Australia * Constructions of Risks to Life in News Media reveals how British newspapers dramatize rare threats like terrorism while downplaying everyday killers such as heart disease and road accidents. Carefully documenting how language distorts perception and behavior, this important book shows us how to better manage health and safety risks. * Paul Slovic, Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA *