Abstract

This study examines the use of implicature and explicature in ten G20 2023 summit press releases. On a textual level, the study revealed that press releases are more explicit in purposefully advancing a particular viewpoint on a subject than implicit ones, which would require underlying contexts to give meaning to the words used. On the functional level, this study revealed that the intended communicative events of press releases are either informing about upcoming meetings or providing records of conducted meetings. Press releases that intend to provide information about upcoming meetings are named press release agenda and press releases that intend to provide records of held meetings are named press release minutes. This study also revealed that the use of implicature was the outcome of cultural, ideological, and power-related factors. The high-context culture of Indian delegates led to the use of the indirect approach to communication to avoid imposition. The equal power among G20 member states led the delegates to use hedges in presenting their views. The indirect promotion of ideologies and initiatives led to the use of negative politeness strategies. This study revealed that implicature was carried out using weak hedges that imply certainty, ability hedges that imply inability, and negative politeness strategies that imply doubt. Explicature, on the other hand, was carried through “what is said.” This study suggests that press release writers should pay more attention to the creation of meaning as implied meanings lead to interpretations that are culture- and ideology-based, especially in the political context.