Concept “Presidential elections 2020” in the English language media

Abstract

The article deals with the concept “Presidential elections 2020” in English mass media registered worldwide. Based on the analysis of the articles from the English language corpus NOW a study was held, the aim of which was to show the linguistic representation of this concept. Articles published from early November 2020 till late January 2021 were selected for the research purposes. These articles reflect the most dramatic events that took place right before and during the elections, and also the tragic situation before the new president’s inauguration. Special attention was paid to the nature of the lexical units under consideration, their connotations, and also to how newspapers and magazines described the political and social events accompanying the election campaign. All the analyzed lexical units were grouped into slots representiag integral parts of the concept. The authors conclude that the topic of the US presidential elections became one of the key issues for many countries in 2020 even despite the global problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The absolute majority of the lexical unites representing the concept “Presidential elections 2020” have negative meanings. It stems from both the tense situation with the elections and the fears resulting from uncertainty and unpredictability of that political event. Linguistic study of this concept can be broadened by means of including articles published earlier.