چكيده فارسي :
This study compared the reported speech types in two series of news items in local and international English newspapers. The study aimed to determine the potential similarities and differences in reported speech types used by news reporters and to compare the vantage point of free direct and free indirect quotes in English newspapers. Eighty news items about the same political incidents were selected from local and international newspapers, and they were analyzed based on Obiedat’s (2006) taxonomy of reported speech. Results revealed that, in general, there was no significant quantitative difference between the reported speech types in local and international newspapers, but concerning the one to one comparison, significant differences were found between direct and free direct quotes. Differences were also found between the vantage point of free indirect quotations by native and non-native English news reporters. These differences, in addition to the content of the news, might indicate first language interference, protecting one’s socio-political status, and saving journalistic image. Further comparative research is needed to make generalizations about the way reported speech is realized in news genre.
