THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF ONLINE NEWS: COGNITIVE MODELS AND PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive study of the narrative structure of online news through the framework of cognitive models and pragmatic functions. The theoretical foundation combines insights from cognitive linguistics, which explains the role of schemata and idealized cognitive models in meaning construction, with pragmatic approaches to discourse analysis that reveal the communicative goals of journalistic texts. A review of scholarly literature demonstrates that headlines and other small-format elements of online journalism serve not only as informational devices but also as influential cues that elicit emotional responses, activate cognitive schemata, and guide interpretation.The methodology integrates corpus analysis of online news articles, automated annotation of narrative and pragmatic features, and experimental research into audience responses. Particular attention is given to individual cognitive dispositions that shape differences in how readers perceive dramatization, emotional intensity, and simplified causal structures.The findings indicate that these strategies substantially increase engagement and shareability in digital environments, yet simultaneously diminish trust and critical evaluation of content. The study concludes that online news has a dual nature: it relies on familiar cognitive models to facilitate rapid meaning-making, while pragmatically oriented toward capturing attention, persuading audiences, or achieving commercial success. The implications of the research extend to journalism practice, where ethical headline design and transparent narrative strategies can foster credibility, and to media literacy, where awareness of cognitive and pragmatic mechanisms can strengthen critical reading skills.Ultimately, this work underscores the need for balancing communicative effectiveness with epistemic responsibility in the evolving digital media landscape.