Abstract
This research examines elements of headlines’ rhetoric and their role in shaping the perception of news content by the larger public. By analyzing the linguistic and contextual factors that contribute to the construction of a particular type of media discourse, the study aims to explore how headlines function not only as informative tools but also as powerful devices that influence audience interpretation. Informed by a critical discourse analysis approach to the so-called “headlinese”, the study seeks to conduct a parallel exploration of headlines in Romanian and English media dedicated to the coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The study of a dataset of 250 headlines (125 in Romanian language and 125 in English) collected from the websites of Digi24® (for the Romanian corpus) and CNN® (for the English corpus), spanning from February 2022 to February 2024, identified the main semantic properties of the sample (through frequency and keyness), subsequently examining the figures of speech deployed in the construction of headlines, with the goal of creating and fostering newsworthiness. As a conclusion, this paper aims to offer insights into journalism literacy, emphasizing the need for critical engagement with headlines as a tool for better understanding the power of language in shaping public discourse. By enhancing awareness of the semantic strategies used in headline construction, this study encourages a more informed consumption of news and fosters a deeper understanding of the role language plays in modern journalism.