A stylistic analysis of selected newspaper headlines on fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria
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Date
2025
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Al-Qalam: A Journal of Languages and Literary Studies, Department of English and Literature, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Abstract
This study conducts a stylistic analysis of selected The Punch and The Nigerian Tribune newspapers' headlines on fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria, with the aim of examining how linguistic choices reflect and shape public discourse on a highly controversial national policy. Drawing upon Stylistic Pluralism and Systemic Functional Linguistics as theoretical frameworks, the research analyzes five headlines from The Punch and Nigerian Tribune, focusing on graphological, morphological, lexical, syntactic, and semantic features. The findings reveal that newspapers employ a range of stylistic devices such as ellipsis, nominalization, evaluative language, and metaphor to construct ideational meanings, establish interpersonal relations, and organize textual information. These linguistic strategies are used not only to inform but also to persuade, sensationalize, or influence public perception, often aligning with ideological biases. The study concludes that media language plays a crucial role in framing socio-political issues, highlighting the importance of critical reading in interpreting headline narratives.
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Babagogata, A. H. (2025). A stylistic analysis of selected newspaper headlines on fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria. Al-Qalam: A Journal of Languages and Literary Studies, 1(1), 1-10.