SEMANTIC TRANSFORMATION OF LEGAL TERMS IN MEDIA CONTEXTS

The present study explores the semantic transformation of legal terminology within media discourse, focusing on how legal terms evolve when transferred from strictly institutional legal contexts into journalistic and public communication. Legal terminology is traditionally characterized by precision, stability, and unambiguity; however, in media contexts, these terms often undergo semantic shifts such as metaphorization, generalization, evaluative loading, and recontextualization. This research applies a qualitative and comparative linguistic approach, drawing on examples from English and Uzbek media discourse, to analyze how legal terms function beyond their normative legal meanings. The findings demonstrate that media discourse transforms legal terms into dynamic semantic units that carry ideological, emotional, and persuasive meanings. These transformations are influenced by socio-political contexts, audience expectations, and communicative strategies of journalists. The study contributes to the fields of legal linguistics, media linguistics, and discourse analysis by highlighting the fluidity of legal terminology and its role in shaping public perception.