TY - JOUR

T1 - Discourse of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ in Newspaper Editorials on Insecurity in Nigeria

AU - Osisanwo, Ayo

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.

PY - 2024/4/22

Y1 - 2024/4/22

N2 - The spate of security threats in Nigeria has recently become quite alarming, dominating newspaper headlines and editorials. This article examines the discourse strategies deployed in the representation of ‘self’ and ‘other’ by editorials in two Nigerian newspapers on the security challenges in Nigeria. Drawing insights from Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of critical discourse analysis, the sampled editorials on insecurity in Nigeria from two e-versions of newspapers from the northern (Leadership Nigeria) and southern (Punch) parts of Nigeria, published from 2017 to 2020 are subjected to discourse analysis. The paper identified the deployment of eight discourse strategies, motivated by nationalist and humanist ideologies. The newspapers polarise between self and other through positive in-group and negative out-group ideologies on the security challenges bedevilling Nigeria with attendant implications for Africa and the world at large.

AB - The spate of security threats in Nigeria has recently become quite alarming, dominating newspaper headlines and editorials. This article examines the discourse strategies deployed in the representation of ‘self’ and ‘other’ by editorials in two Nigerian newspapers on the security challenges in Nigeria. Drawing insights from Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of critical discourse analysis, the sampled editorials on insecurity in Nigeria from two e-versions of newspapers from the northern (Leadership Nigeria) and southern (Punch) parts of Nigeria, published from 2017 to 2020 are subjected to discourse analysis. The paper identified the deployment of eight discourse strategies, motivated by nationalist and humanist ideologies. The newspapers polarise between self and other through positive in-group and negative out-group ideologies on the security challenges bedevilling Nigeria with attendant implications for Africa and the world at large.

KW - discourse strategies

KW - human security threat

KW - ideology

KW - Insecurity in Nigeria

KW - Nigerian newspaper editorials

KW - Literature studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191057569&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/947bf56c-d3ff-3735-87bf-2b137710c20d/

U2 - 10.1177/00219096241243295

DO - 10.1177/00219096241243295

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85191057569

JO - Journal of Asian and African Studies

JF - Journal of Asian and African Studies

SN - 0021-9096

ER -