The principle of complementarity between verbal and visual languages in media images: a systemic-functional approach

Abstract

Several studies have sought to understand how and at which levels the complementarity between written text and images occurs, especially in media advertising. The main purpose of this article is to understand how written messages and images interact and complement each other in forming a coherent whole in order to persuade readers to acquire certain products or services. Through this perspective, the analysis starts from the micro elements until it reaches the macro aspects, where the linguistic forms and image acts work in tandem to transmit ideological and hegemonic messages. The analysis draws on the theories of Halliday (1978, 1994), Kress and van Leeuwen (1996, 2002, 2006) and Royce (2007). As advertisements are the subject matter, Fairclough's (1995) studies on media trends are also relevant to this article. The results indicate that the ideational, interpersonal, and compositional aspects of media advertisements complement each other in the formation of a coherent whole capable of persuading readers to acquire a given products or influence their behavior.