Most research on domestic violence has focused on sociological and psychological angles, leaving the role of language in media coverage largely unexplored. This study steps into that gap, examining how Nigerian newspapers use language to shape the way domestic violence is portrayed and understood. Using tools from critical linguistics, we unpack the specific word choices, narrative techniques, and underlying messages in news reports about domestic violence. The study draws on two key frameworks: Van Leeuwen’s approach to analyzing how people are represented in texts and Halliday’s model for understanding action and agency in language. We analyzed headlines and articles about domestic violence published between March and July 2020 in three widely read Nigerian newspapers—Vanguard , The Guardian , and The Punch . Our focus was on their online editions. Findings reveal that the reports heavily rely on action-focused language, often portraying victims as powerless and perpetrators as cruel. At the same time, law enforcement agencies like the police and courts are framed as active defenders against domestic violence. Through deliberate linguistic strategies—such as downplaying certain details, assigning roles to different actors, and shaping how they’re identified—the newspapers send clear ideological messages: victims deserve sympathy, perpetrators deserve condemnation, and legal systems are working to stop the violence. These strategies don’t just report the news—they influence how readers interpret and respond to domestic violence. The study concludes that language use in Nigerian news reports is purposively framed to take sides with domestic violence victims, solicit condemnation for perpetrators, and fight domestic violence crime in Nigerian society.
Akindele et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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