Extending the rape narrative: A corpus-assisted discourse analysis of the construction of rape in selected Nigerian dailies

Abstract

This study examines the discursive construction of rape in news reports from the standpoint of critical linguistics. To do this, a corpus of news articles on rape cases was generated from five Nigerian newspapers (The Punch, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune and Sun) published between 2018-2022. For concordance analysis, AntConc4 was deployed to tease out lexemes and collocates that index the construal of rape and actors. With insights from Wodak’s (2001) model of critical discourse analysis, the study identifies (e)vilifying rape and its perpetrators through labelling, the empathy-evoking construal of rape victims’ experience, and sexual offenders as blame-shifters as ideological constructs accentuated by discursive strategies. Existing studies have argued that the Nigerian press has largely promoted an androcentric order in the reporting of rape cases, to the detriment of rape victims. However, this study extends this view and suggests that Nigerian newspapers attempt to combat the heinous act of rape by vilifying, demonising, denigrating, and negatively portraying rape and perpetrators through linguistic constructs. These constructs are meant to project sexual offenders and their heinous acts to the public in highly repugnant and distasteful ways that would convince the public to desist from such acts.