Abstract
Language plays an invaluable role in the area of news dissemination. It serves as a useful tool in the hands of newspaper editors who deploy its resourcefulness in presenting news to the reading audience. This study applies Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how Nigerian newspaper headlines shape public perception and discourse on the rising cost of living. Focusing on media literacy and linguistic devices, the research investigates patterns of representation and framing in headlines, as well as the use of rhetorical devices and lexical choices. The study aims to identify the linguistic devices employed by Nigerian newspapers and evaluate their impact on public perception and discourse. The paper adopts Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of critical discourse analysis (CDA) and Michael Halliday’s systemic functional grammar (SFG) which respectively account for ideologically driven meaning and linguistic forms. A qualitative content analysis of four Nigerian newspaper headlines (The Nation, Punch, Tribune, and Guardian), selected through purposive sampling, will be conducted over a period of six months (January to June 2024). A coding scheme will be developed to identify relevant linguistic devices and lexical choices.
Presenters
Raifu FarindeAssociate Professor of English Language and Acting Dean, Faculty of Arts, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
KEYWORDS: MEDIA LITERACY, CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS, NEWSPAPER HEADLINE
