Dr. DESCHRIJVER Cedric2020-02-202020-02-202020In Fina, A. D., & Georgakopoulou, A. (eds.) (2020). The cambridge handbook of discourse studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.9781108348195http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/5809This chapter provides an overview of the concept of “mediatization” and its different applications. It distinguishes “institutional,” “social constructionist” and “linguistic-anthropological” understandings of the concept. After defining and discussing each understanding, the chapter draws attention to how the linguistic-anthropological approach may be employed in discourse-analytical research. Specifically, the approach is argued to be highly amenable with a focus on metapragmatics. Much like a focus on metapragmatics reflects language users’ awareness of language use, mediatization may reflect their understanding of the nature of the communication they are engaged in. After providing several examples, the chapter discusses how discourse-analytic methods may further complement the development of mediatization frameworks. Looking ahead, these developments will need to take into account a surge in multimodal content, the increasingly global reach of communications, and ever-shifting social media potentials.enMediatizationRecontextualizationMetapragmaticsCommoditizationAudience UptakeOnlineCommunicationMultimodalityProsumption CommunicationGlobal Nature ofBook Chapter10.1017/9781108348195.032