A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PLACARD MESSAGES ON THE #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST OF 2024

Abstract

This study examined the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria through the lens of Fairclough’s (2010) Critical Discourse Analysis model, aiming to uncover the language used on placards at three levels: text, discursive practice, and at social practice. As a case study, the research investigated a real-life phenomenon by employing a purposive data collection technique to gather relevant data from placards obtained from the BusinessDay, the Premium Times online newspapers, the Almy website, and online Channels Television. In addition, a critical case sampling strategy – an adapted form of purposive data collection was implemented by selecting placards that provided significant insights into the research topic. The analysis utilised a blend of qualitative description and analytical interpretation methods. To protect the privacy of individuals depicted in the photographs, faces were blurred. The findings indicated, among others, that the protesters made distinctive lexical choices that conveyed powerful social meanings. Their deliberate use of text font,colour, and bullets contributed to the clarity and impact of their messages by ensuring they correspond with their audience at text level.