2026-07-26T03:01:19Z https://meral.edu.mm/oai

oai:meral.edu.mm:recid/00012903 2026-07-07T04:18:53Z 1582963788001 1582963788001:1582966193982

A Study of Ambiguity in News Headlines of Hollywood Wildfire Thant Htet Htet Lin Khaing Thandar Kyaw "News headlines serve as powerful tools for shaping public perception, but their inherent ambiguity can lead to misinterpretation, emotional arousal, and misinformation. This study examines the psycholinguistic impact of ambiguous headlines about Hollywood wildfires, focusing on lexical and structural ambiguity. A survey was conducted to assess participants’ interpretations, confidence levels, emotional reactions, and processing time for each headline. The findings indicate that ambiguous headlines attract attention and engagement but can also lead to varied interpretations, sometimes causing misperception of the news event. Lexical ambiguity, particularly metaphorical language, was the most frequent source of multiple interpretations, while syntactic ambiguity played a lesser role. The study further highlights the emotional impact of crisis-related ambiguous headlines, revealing that they can heighten public concern but also risk distorting reality. The study highlights ethical concerns regarding ambiguity in crisis reporting, emphasizing the need for clearer journalistic practices to prevent misinformation and unnecessary public distress. " 2026-06-07 https://meral.edu.mm/records/12903