Changes in Newspaper Language Explored as Changes in Cultural Norms

Abstract

Norms are developed by the people in the society to make it easier to live together in a cultural community. The most important norm system in any society is the language. Any mother language is a cultural code regulated by semantical, phonological, grammatical, stylistic and pragmatical norms. Norms are conservative to keep the cultural code firm. But norms do also have to adjust to external changes in any society as time goes. Else the cultural code will not be useful. Because norms are conservative, a lot of members of the community oppose to and protest against norm changes – as we have seen in Norway – and criticize the contemporary standard of media language. How do linguistic norms change? How has newspaper language changed in the 20th century in Norway on background of changed conditions in the development of the society? Is the change to be conceived as progress or decay?