THE LINGUISTIC RESOURCES OF TROPES IN THE MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF ANTI-GRAFT CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA (2015-2022)

Abstract

The major hindrance causing underdevelopment in African countries, including Nigeria is corruption, and the role of the media in combating the menace is crucial. Therefore, this study examines the manner in which tropes in media reports shape public knowledge and perception of graft, with a view to fighting corruption through the writers’ presentation of anti-graft campaign within the Nigerian context. Data in the study comprise headline news, top stories, news and opinion articles, which represent online version of the newspapers and news, report Journals. The publications represent the media presentation on graft and anti-graft campaign in Nigeria, which fall within the period of 2015 and 2022. The paper adopts the analytical procedures of description, interpretation and explation of the data characteristic of language study, and applies the conceptual metaphor theory to explore the selected data. Findings reveal that the linguistic resources of tropes in the construction of anti-graft campaign in Nigeria serves as the instrument for motivating the public to be more receptive to critical and rational media reports, which are aimed at fighting the challenge of corruption from different perspectives.