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The article gives an analysis of precedent statements from the informative space of political discourse, reflected in different types of media texts. Fulfilling a number of functions in political discourse precedent statements act as an effective means of describing socio-political realia. Moreover, precedent phenomena make the speech more dynamic, convincing, attractive, vivid, and these features influence the addressee, helping him to communicate not only with the speaker, but, following the theory of intertextuality, with the whole cultural context. Analyzing online newspaper media texts dealing with political matters the author comes to the conclusion that in political discourse the most important functions are text-forming, persuasive, evaluative and expressive, which facilitate realization of the global functions of precedent statements - semantic and pragmatic functions. Examples illustrating the changing socio-political realia in conditions of «new normality» and how politicians and journalists react on it make the article timely.

The article presents an analysis of precedent statements in socio-political discourse, which is reflected in different types of media texts thematically related to the coronavirus pandemic. The described means of language contributes to the realization of various communicative strategies, first of all the strategy of persuasion. The article demonstrates the role of precedent statements and illustrates their persuasive potential as one of the fundamental elements of intertextuality category in the framework of rhetorical media discourse. As an effective means of implementing both the global strategy of persuasion and specific communicative tactics — warning, threatening, manipulating, discrediting, etc. — precedent statements are regularly reproduced in different types of rhetorical discourse (political, economic, religious, etc.) and make a significant contribution to achieving the main perlocutionary effect — inducing the recipient to take a certain action.⁠

The article reveals the linguistic and pragmatic potential of mythologisms — precedent phenomena found in informational and analytical articles in the mass media of socio-political nature as a universal linguistic tool characterised by functional multi-vectoring. First and foremost, mythologisms serve as a means of describing and evaluating contemporary political realities in Germany. As stable, widely known images, plots, and names, mythologisms contribute to the implementation of key communication strategies: informing, attracting attention, evaluating, persuading, appealing to values, contrasting and contrasting, manipulating, etc.

Furthermore, the article illustrates the potential of mythologisms as an effective means of argumentation: mythological references, sourced from the legends and myths of Ancient Greece, are regularly reproduced in analytical media articles. With their rich imagery, mythologisms effectively realise their argumentative component in both formal and substantive terms. It is shown that, formally, mythologisms manifest themselves both as a component of the theses put forward and as part of the arguments presented, often illustrating topoi commonly accepted in rhetoric and serving as a means of concrete illustration. From the content point of view, these linguistic means function as components of various types of argumentation: factual, rational, authoritative, and emotional etc.

Finally, mythologisms traditionally characterise the individual style of a journalist who, with the help of this precedent phenomenon, not only describes, evaluates and persuades, but also realises his artistic and aesthetic intent. The article emphasises the stylistic component of mythologies as a text-forming factor, which also contributes to the transmission of complex meanings in a concise form within the framework of contemporary political discourse, influencing readers’ perception and shaping and transforming public opinion.