1
AN ANALYSIS OF ABBREVIATION FOUND IN THE JAKARTA POST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED ON 11
thAND 12
thFEBRUARY 2015
Oleh:
Silma Hayati *)
**) Herfyna Asty dan **) Rika Afriyanti Staff Pengajar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Sebagai salah satu bentuk dari penulisan, penyingkatan kata atau disebut juga abreviasi sering di gunakan oleh penulis dalam sebuah karya tulisan termasuk dalam penulisan berita pada Koran sebagai salah satu produk jurnalistik. Pada Koran, penggunaan abreviasi menjadi bentuk yang umum digunakan dalam penulisan berita atau informasi. Penggunaan abreviasi memiliki dampak positif untuk semua penulis khususnya seorang jurnalis. Sebab, penyingkatan kata dapat menghemat waktu dan spasi untuk menjelaskan dan menyalurkan berita kepada masyarakat luas sebagai pembaca. Berhubungan dengan itu diadakanlah penelitian mengenai penyingkatan yang terdapat dalam Koran.Focus dari penelitian ini merupakan untuk menganalisa penyingkatan-penyingkatan yang terdapat pada Koran Jakarta Post. Selanjutnya, tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah “untuk menemukan tipe singkatan apa saja yang digunakan pada Koran Jakarta Post?”. Koran yang akan diteliti merupakan terbitan pada tanggal 11th dan 12th February 2015 yang terdapat pada rubrik headlines, archipelago, city, business, features, and sports.Methodologi yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Dalam menganalisis data, peneliti melakukan beberapa langkah yaitu reading/memoing (membaca), describing (menggambarkan), classifying (mengklasifikasikan), dan interpreting (menginterpretasikan). Hasil dari penelitian ini menemukan 161 singkatan yang digunakan dalam 6 rubrik tersebut. Dari keseluruhan data tergolong dalam keenam tipe yaitu 11 (6,8%) tipe true abbreviations, 5 (3,1%) tipe units of measurement, 35 (21,7%) tipe acronyms, 75 (46,6%) tipe initialisms, 31 (19,3%) tipe contractions, and 3 (1,9%) tipe suspensions. Peneliti juga menemukan 1 (0,6%) uncategorized type yang digukan dalam Koran tersebut. Berdasarkan dari hasil penelitian, tipe singkatan atau abreviasi yang paling banyak digunakan adalah tipe initialism dengan persentase 46,6%.
Keywords: Journalism, Newspaper, Abbreviation, Types of abbreviation
*) Penulis
**) Pembimbing
2 INTRODUCTION
Journalism is an activity to convey information about currents event concerning economics, politics, crimes, cultures, health and many others that are searched, collected and processed by journalists then publishing it through mass media. Mass media are mean or tool of delivering messages and information directly related to the wider society. The use of the mass media is very important for the society because through mass media, people can know widely the development their country or other countries in terms all of current events that happened. In giving information, there are many ways that can be used as the information can be delivered properly. One of mass media is newspaper.
A newspaper gives many information and complete rubric, like criminal rubric, economy business rubric, politic rubric, and so on. Each news has many varieties of languages and it is unique. The interesting thing in each rubric that is given must be brief and accurate. Besides, it is also easy to be understood by every reader especially in understanding abbreviation.
Abbreviation is shortened from a words or phrases. Usually, it consists of a group of letters taken from a word or phrase. An abbreviation is a result from abbreviating one more words. It is used to summarize idea and save time in communication.
The using of abbreviations will add new vocabulary.
There are some examples of abbreviations in English, such us; ATM (Automatic teller Machine), and IQ (Intelligence Quotient). There are also some examples of abbreviations in Indonesia such us;
Depdiknas (Department Pendidikan Nasional) and ABRI (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia).Each type of abbreviation has different process, such as: ATM is taken from the word Automatic Teller Machine. It has a process called Initialism, which always written in Capital, each letter being pronounced separately. ABRI is taken from the word Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia. It has a process called Acronym, formed by taking the first letter of the each words, and make new words.
In the Jakarta Post newspaper that published on 11th and 12th February 2015, there are many abbreviations used there, for example:
Pertagas (Pertagas Gas), BNPB (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Becana), Feb. (February), 13 MB (13 Mega Byte). There are many types of abbreviations found in the Jakarta Post newspaper with contained six rubrics. They are headlines, city, archipelago, business, feature, and sport.
Based on the explanation above, there are some reasons to study the phenomena of using
abbreviation in headlines, city, archipelago, business, feature, and sport rubrics of Jakarta Post newspaper.
There were some difficulties over the meaning an abbreviation like ambiguity. Some abbreviations in newspaper often cause confusion to readers like writing unfamiliar abbreviation because not all of abbreviations known by readers. Actually, writing an abbreviation in articles should follow it up with explanation which is this explanation write in parentheses. The use of parentheses can be written after explaining the abbreviation itself for example North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In addition, many writers do not pay much attention of it because they think all the shortening can be applied for all of writing. This can be seen when shortening a word that is used in article of newspaper like “e.g.”
for “for example, “etc.” for “and so on” or “i.e.” for
“that is”, those shortened should not be used it in formal writing. The visible condensation commonly used but those abbreviations do not follow the rules of abbreviation based on each categorizes.
It looks like easy to do but it needs to know because it is one of things that can influence information that is delivered to readers clearly all at once it is suitable with what the writer means. The abbreviations have been commonly both in formal and informal writing. Nevertheless, the writer has to avoid the use excessive of abbreviation especially in formal writing like an article. Otherwise, researcher found abbreviations excessive that is used by writer in one article on newspaper.
Thus, the researcher can conclude that many writers are lack of understanding in the use of abbreviation. As a writer, they have to know and understand all forms of writing till information can be channeled properly and clearly by the readers. If this case persists and is not changed, it will give bad impact to readers.
This research was limited to the analysis of abbreviations found in headlines, city, archipelago, business, feature, and sport rubrics of the Jakarta Post newspaper. This research was limited the discussion to the types of abbreviation based on Rogers (2014:23). There were six types of shortened words or abbreviations such as:
1. True abbreviations
That simply shorten a term which write in lowercase letter, for example “Prof.”
Professor.
2. Units of abbreviation
A shorten that abbreviated when used with numerical values but are not abbreviated if used without numerical values such like “ml, km, h, and others”.
3 3. Acronym
A word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words a set phrase or series of words and pronounced as words, for example “NATO”.
4. Initialisms
An abbreviation built from the first letters of group of words and each letter is pronounced separately, for example “DNA”.
5. Contractions
Shortened word combinations in which one or several letters are omitted and give apostrophes in middle of word, for example
“can’t” cannot.
6. Suspensions
Shortened word forms that consist of the first and last letters of the full word such like “Dr.”
Doctor.
In conclusion, abbreviations are the rules for creating new word are done by every single of language in the world. For the types of abbreviations above, the process of shortening of word or phrase with lose one some part of lexeme. In every type, has different ways to make abbreviations like using full stop, using capital letter, and write the full form or standard form.
REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE Journalism
According to Craft and Davis (2013:33) journalism is a set of transparent, independent procedures aimed at gathering, verifying and reporting truthful information of consequence to citizens in a democracy. It seems that there has a unidirectional communication between a journalist as providers and distributors of information and the public as receivers of information. In generally, journalism is an activity to convey information by preparing actual news for society through a means of both print and electronic media. As discussed by Ward (2002) who point outs that the core of journalism is in charge of identifying, collecting, selecting, and presenting of information.
The term of journalism is closely related to journalistic press and mass communication.
Journalism has a lot of meaning. Many experts define term of journalism is different. However, the essentially of journalism is same thing. Basically, Journalism is an area where there is an activity to search and to gather information by journalists, which in turn was submitted information to the public.
Craft and Davis (2013:34) say that journalism forms periodical collection and publication of current news; the business of managing, editing, or writing for, journals or newspapers; as, political journalism.
It can be seen a lot of things that be able to report by journalist in daily life for the societies, such as about economy, politic, culture, health, crime and many other things. Because of those information are needed by societies and also they want to be in on how the development and the problem that occurred around them. Anyhow, the main purpose of journalism is to show information about all of things that needed by societies.
Journalism uses mass media to publish the information in order to the information conveyed to wide societies quickly. According to Macnamara (2010:32) mass media are technological channels for predominantly one-way distribution of messages by organizations with the objective of creating and maintaining audiences for commercial or other purposes. It means as channels to distribute messages have to deliver the information should be based on evidence so as the information can be accepted by societies as reader more clearly and trustily. The mass media include print media and electronic media.
Print media is most popular used by people starting at previous until now to getting the information particularly newspaper.
Newspaper
Newspaper is a means of broadcast journalism products. Newspaper is one of printed media which has the function to channel information.
Martin and Copeland (2003:2) say that newspapers are printed, not handwritten, published regularly, at frequent intervals, and focus on current events. In addition, Based on General Libraries in Walravens (2006:125) follows definition of a newspaper; a serial publication which contain news on current events of special or general interest, whose parts are listed chronologically or numerically and appear usually at least once week. As discussed by experts above, newspaper refers to a serial publication of printed media which is to serve current news that publishes periodically.
Related to the function of newspaper, the journalist has to pay attention the language of newspapers so that societies as a reader can understand within the meaning of newspapers’
content. Because the reader only accepts what presented in the newspaper, the journalist should avoid misunderstanding in the writing which makes confusion to readers. As discussed by Ansell (2005:22) who says that the reader is an active participant in the process; he or she makes meanings as he or she reads. Thus, the using of the language has to clear and easier understand by reader who has low intellectual.
Making shortened words is one of the important things that have been said before. It’s also
4 called abbreviation. The journalist has to pay attention when abbreviate words or phrases too.
Because of abbreviation includes into the role of language.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form, usually using first letters of the words being shortened, as discussed by Cutler (2010:41). The process of abbreviated word is one of establishment words which abbreviate the word into letters, parts of words or combined to form a new word. This word formation process can called the process of morphology.
In addition, Bojack (2010:37) states that an abbreviation is a shortened form of a noun. Basically, as a mean of communication, abbreviations are commonly used by people all over the world in writing and speaking. Abbreviation sometimes makes readers confuse and ambiguity in defining sentence.
Many abbreviations are not familiar to readers, but some of them may need explanation. One way that can be used by author to avoid the case, is having affix the full name followed by the abbreviations in brackets or parentheses. As discussed by Manser (2006:203) who point outs the usual convention is to give the full word or title followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. In addition, Carre (2003:52) says that use the abbreviation followed with an explanation in parentheses and putting the explanation in parentheses is consistent.
However, the using of abbreviation in a formal writing is allowed, but its use must be in accordance with the provisions set. One of them is based on types of abbreviation which is mentioned by some experts. The detail explanation about types of abbreviation will be in the following paragraphs.
Types of Abbreviation
Abbreviating of words has some rules that have to follow by the writer. The rules should know by writer so that the writer can write and apply right abbreviation in writing especially writing of journalistic. If the writer wants to know the characteristics using of abbreviation, the writer has to know the types of abbreviation firstly. Each type has distinguished ways or characteristics to abbreviate words.
There are several types of shortened words or abbreviations. Ament (2003:151) states that “there are four types of abbreviations”, they are common abbreviations, Latin abbreviations, trademarked abbreviations, and uncommon abbreviations. First, common abbreviations are usually more familiar to users than the words they abbreviate like “USA”
United State of America. Second, Latin abbreviations are commonly used in science with using English equivalent and then it confines in parenthetical such like “e.g.” for example. Next, trademarked abbreviations are legally shortened name of products or companies, for example “IBM” International Business Machines. Last, Uncommon abbreviations usually the usage of abbreviation is not familiar to users and using of this abbreviation suggested to follow with parentheses, for example “CRC” Cyclical Redundancy Checking.
In other opinion, as discussed by Whipple (2006:61) who point outs that technically there are four categories of shortened words. They are acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, and contractions. First, acronyms are actual pronounceable words made up of the first letter of the words defining an item, for example “AIDS” for a disease of free sex. Second, initialisms are unpronounceable words that made up of the first letters of expression, for example “FBI” Federal Organization of Intelligent. Third, abbreviations are shortened forms of a single word normally followed by period, for example “hwy” for highway. Finally, contractions are two words combined into single shortened of word with an apostrophe in place of any missing letters, for example “I’ll” is a contraction for I will.
Meanwhile, according to Rogers (2014:18),
“there are six types of shortened words or abbreviations such as, true abbreviations, units of measurement, acronyms, initialisms, contractions, and suspensions”. First, true abbreviations are those that simply shorten a term which write in lowercase letter, for example “Prof.” Professor. Second, units of abbreviation are abbreviated when used with numerical values but are not abbreviated if used without numerical values such like “ml, km, h, and others”. Third, acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words a set phrase or series of words and pronounced as words, for example “NATO”. Fourth, initialisms are built from the first letters of group of words and each letter is pronounced separately, for example “DNA”. Fifth, contractions are shortened word combinations in which one or several letters are omitted and give apostrophes in middle of word, for example “can’t”
cannot. Finally, suspensions are shortened word forms that consist of the first and last letters of the full word such like “Dr.” Doctor.
Meanwhile, to answer the questions of this research, the researcher will choose the types of abbreviation which suggested by Rogers (2014:23) in this research.
5 RESEARCH FINDINGS
After analyzing the data, the researcher got the result of research question in this research. The researcher found about the using of abbreviations in the Jakarta Post newspaper. The data were taken from the six rubrics in the Jakarta Post newspaper.
They are headlines, archipelago, city, business, feature, and sport. The researcher used two editions of the newspaper that published on February 11th and 12th, 2015. The researcher found many abbreviations with different type from those rubrics in the Jakarta Post newspaper.
The researcher found that there are 161 abbreviations in the Jakarta Post newspaper on 11th and 12th February 2015. Then, the researcher classified the data based on the types of abbreviation proposed by Rogers (2014:23). They are 11 true abbreviations, 5 units of measurement, 35 acronyms, 75 initialisms, 31 contraction, and 3 suspensions. In addition, there is 1 uncategorized type of abbreviation existed in the Jakarta Post newspaper that published on February 11th and 12th, 2015.
DISCUSSION
The data of this research consisted of 161 abbreviation words. They were taken from 2 editions of Jakarta Post newspaper on 11th and 12th February 2015. Based on the whole data, it could be seen that, the journalist used abbreviation words in Jakarta Post newspaper especially in headline, city, archipelago, business, feature, and sport rubric.
Based on the data, it can be found that six types of abbreviations. As proposed by Rogers (2014:23), they were true abbreviation, units of measurement, acronym, initialism, contraction, and suspension.
It was classified into 11 true abbreviations, 5 units of measurement, 35 acronyms, 75 initialisms, 31 contraction, and 3 suspensions. Also, the researcher found 1 uncategorized type of abbreviation:
Table 1 the percentage of type’s abbreviation N
o.
Types of abbreviation
Freq
uency Percentage 1. True abbreviation 11 6,8%
2. Unit of measurement 5 3,1%
3. Acronym 35 21,7%
4. Initialism 75 46,6%
5. Contraction 31 19,3%
6. Suspension 3 1,9%
7. Uncategorized 1 0,6%
In those rubrics, abbreviations were used as style in writing the news. The used of abbreviations could made the news to be short and clear. Besides,
those abbreviations were used to minimize the space which was provided to explain the news to the readers.
In this research, the initialism dominated the abbreviations, and after that, followed by acronym, contraction, true abbreviation, units of measurement, and suspension. In conclusion, there are many abbreviations that are found in headlines, city, archipelago, business, feature, and sport rubric of Jakarta Post newspaper. All of abbreviations are constructed with some ways.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Conclusion
The purposes of this research are to identify the using of abbreviation is having basis the types of abbreviation and their construction in the Jakarta Post newspaper that consists of headlines, archipelago, city, business, features, and sports rubrics. The researcher was collected the data about abbreviation which published around February 11th and 12th, 2015.
Many abbreviations were found by researcher from those rubrics. The researcher was invented 161 abbreviations.
Based on finding the data, the researcher classified the data into six types of abbreviation which is suggested by Rogers (2014:23). They are true abbreviation, unit of measurement, acronym, initialism, contraction, and suspension. Dividing of the data into each the types of abbreviation, the researcher provide guidance the indicators from the types of abbreviation that mentioned by Rogers. The finding shows indeed shortened words or abbreviation still used lots in newspaper.
From the whole abbreviations, the researcher was found 11 true abbreviations, 5 units of measurement, 35 acronyms, 75 initialisms, 31 contractions, and 3 suspensions. In addition, the researcher also found 1 uncategorized type abbreviation in the newspaper. Abbreviations that found in those rubrics are constructed through different ways because they have own characteristic to abbreviate. Besides, they also have different way to pronounce as words.
The differences of constructions could be seen from each types of abbreviation. The first, true abbreviation is an abbreviation that formed by taking more one letters in the first and cutting the last letters of a word. The second, unit of measurement is an abbreviation which combining with numerical and commonly used to measure an object. The third, acronym is a shortened of words from the initial or group letters of words in a set phrase and pronounced as word. The fourth, initialism is the shortened of words from the first letters of group of words and pronounced separately. The fifth, contraction is an
6 abbreviation with combining two letters which one or more letters of two words are omitted and also adding apostrophes between them. The last, suspension is an abbreviation which abbreviated the first and last letters of the full word.
This research would be contributed to be useful for theoretically and practically. Theoretically this research useful for college students expects that the result of this study used for everyone who wants to analyze abbreviations. It also gives contribution and enriches the development of linguistics and general. Furthermore, this research is hoped to develop the knowledge about types of abbreviations for the readers or for the writer herself. Also practically, this research expected to help the reader for understanding easily while reading newspaper which exist abbreviation.
In brief, the using of abbreviation can give positive impact for the writer especially for journalist. Besides, it can save much time, it also can minimize space to write news and speed up in writing news. However, the writer has to notice the appropriateness in using of abbreviation. It can add the parentheses to explain the abbreviation because there are many abbreviations and not all of the readers know them. By adding the parentheses, it can help the readers interpret the abbreviation and also it can avoid ambiguous and misunderstanding to the readers. Thus, information that has to be known by the readers will be delivered well without having misunderstanding between journalist and the readers.
Suggestion
There are many types that can be studied from abbreviations, such as functions, kinds or types, and forms. In this research, the researcher only research about the types and formation from abbreviations in headlines, archipelago, city, business, features, and sports rubrics from the Jakarta Post newspaper that published on February 11th and 12th, 2015. The research is not perfect yet, therefore the researcher suggests others to conduct the relevant studies about abbreviations in different topic.
Afterwards, the researcher hopes this research can be reference in conducting the other researcher about abbreviations. Besides, it is hoped that all of journalists can follow the rule of abbreviations process before abbreviating some word, and then do not use abbreviations too much because make the readers can’t understand the news easily.
REFERENCES
Ansell, Gwen. 2005. Introduction to journalism.
South Africa: Jacana Media.
Ament, Kurt. 2003. Single sourcing building modular documentation. USA: William Andrew Publishing.
Bojack, Henry. 2010. Blended HTML, XHTML, and CSS. 2nd ed. USA: Course Technology, Cangage Learning.
Carre, John Le. 2003. Communicating in style. New Delhi: Paul’s Press.
Craft, Stephanie, and Davis, Charles N. 2013.
Principles of American Journalism. New York:
Routledge.
Cutler, Sally F. 2010. A few good words: how internal auditors can write better more insightful reports. USA: Bloomington.
Macnamara, Jim. 2010. The 21st century media revolution. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Manser, Martin H. 2006. Guide to good writing. New York: An Imprint of InfoBase Publishing.
Martin, Shanoon E. and Copeland, David A. 2003.
the function of newspaper in society. USA: An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Rogers, Silvia M. (2014). Mastering scientific and medical writing: a self –help guide. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Heidelberg.
Walravens, Hartmut. 2006. International newspaper librarianship for the 21st century. Netherland:
IFLA Publications.
Ward, Mike. 2002. Journalism online. Britain: Focal Press.
Whipple, Robert T. 2006. Understanding e-body language. NY: Leadergrow, Inc.
