THE SEMANTICS OF URBAN SPACE IN REGIONAL MEDIA TEXTS: EXPRESSION THROUGH TOPONYMS AND LOCATIVES (THE TERNOPIL CONTEXT)

Abstract

This article analyses the characteristics of the representation of urban space in regional media texts, using examples from the Ternopil-based online publications «Teren» and «Nash Den». Space is examined as a semantic and discursive category, shaped through linguistic means and narrative strategies employed by the media. The aim of the study is to identify semantic models of spatial representation and to clarify the role of toponyms and locatives in the process of describing the urban environment. To achieve this aim, discourse analysis, content analysis, as well as semantic and descriptive methods were employed, ensuring a comprehensive study of the empirical material. The results show that media texts not only reflect but also construct spatial reality, shaping perceptions of the city as a physical and sociocultural space. Leading semantic models have been identified, among which the geographical and urbanistic models are key, and which, in interaction, ensure a holistic understanding of the urban environment. It has been established that toponyms (in particular, urbanonyms) serve to localise events whilst simultaneously accumulating cultural and historical meanings, whereas locatives specify spatial coordinates and enhance the accuracy of media reports. It has been demonstrated that the combination of these units is a typical linguistic strategy of media discourse, which contributes to the formation of the city’s image, reflects its cultural memory and social processes, and influences the formation of local identity.