The evaluation of status in multi-modal texts

This paper reconsiders the concept of ‘evaluation of status’ and applies it to visual as well as to verbal texts. The paper explores the relationship between ‘status’ and other related concepts such as epistemic modality. It is argued that a conceptual notion of status is useful in analysing texts, particularly those which construe knowledge. Examples of texts where the status of propositions has high social significance are discussed. The paper then demonstrates how notions of status may be applied to visual images, taking as an example a television documentary film. The status of the various images in the film, and how those images interact with the concurrent verbal text, is then explored.