Past Programs
Language and Linguistics - 2007
Keywords to War
04/07/2007
What is the power of words? How do words influence you, indeed, touch you? Do you choose words for the story they tell, the message you're trying to sell, or for more subversive, multiple meanings?
And why are some words misused and abused for a particular political aim?
We'd like to hear from you about your experience of how words connect you to the world, and the value that certain words have for you.
Political Mea Culpa
06/03/2007
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie is renowned for using the 'mea culpa' device - admitting you were wrong as the first line of defence - when political trouble is brewing.
So, how much does personal integrity rest on the words we use, on the language we use, particularly in the public arena? If 'mea culpa' is the lingua franca of certain politicians, what are they telling us about themselves?
Is fessing up the best way to come clean, and let the public decide for themselves what they think of the politician and the story taking the heat?
