We shall examine the lexical, grammatical and pragmatic resources in written texts employed with the rhetorical aim of persuading the reader, creating a discursive representation of health and expressing the argumentative viewpoints in the debate surrounding modern human health. Our goal is to determine if the Spanish press in general takes a commercial approach which encourages the consumption of wellness products and services (as do the industries of marketing and publicity) or if indeed the press adopts a critical attitude which makes consumers aware of the dangers of the culto a la salud, characteristic of our modern society. To this end, we shall analyze the rhetorical strategies identified in these two discursive representations. The analysis will include texts published in conventional Spanish newspapers as well as those in electronic format from 1995 until the present, given that during the last decade there have been noteworthy social and cultural changes in terms of human health and wellbeing. In regards to possible applications of this study, it is in our interest to contribute to the rhetorical analysis of journalistic (newspaper) and advertising discourse, especially for primary and secondary educators as well as consumers in general, so as to provide a tool for the critical reading and interpretation of health-related texts and discourse.

Díaz Rojo, José Antonio

Ministry of Science and Innovation