Blurring borders in intralingual translation research: the case of journalistic translation

Intralingual translation research is on the rise, as evidenced by the numerous recent publications and academic events on this subject. Some scholars have (re)defined and typologized intralingual translation, attempting to shed light on an otherwise seemingly nebulous concept. However, in view of the complexity and diversity of the practices that can be studied under the umbrella term of intralingual translation, a blurred borders approach might be preferable. In the present paper, this position is supported by means of two case studies on (intralingual and intersemiotic) journalistic translations or remediations for social media. The two objects of study are an infographic by Mexican information design company Pictoline and a video by British science magazine New Scientist. A comparative analysis of these multimodal and multimedia texts and their news sources illustrates the fuzzy borders between intralingual and intersemiotic translation, as well as between the different types of the former. If we wish to describe intralingual translation separately from the other Jakobsonian types, this can be done on the basis of its aim or purpose, its target users, its text type or field, or its use of different media or technologies.