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Publication Date: July 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8651.
Zubairu, B. S., Kefas, J., Victoria, L., & Joekin, E. (2020). Morpho-Stylistic Analysis Of Crisis Motivated Words In Online Newspaper
Headlines Of Kogi State Election Of 2019. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 532-540.
Morpho-Stylistic Analysis Of Crisis Motivated Words In Online
Newspaper Headlines Of Kogi State Election Of 2019
Bitrus Samaila Zubairu
Faculty of Arts, Department of English and Literary Studies
Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Jesmiel Kefas
Faculty of Arts, Department of English and Literary Studies
Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Lekyong Victoria
Faculty of Education, Department of Arts Education,
Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Ekwueme Joekin
Faculty of Arts, Department of English and Literary Studies,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Words could both be an instrument of war and peace. Journalists could
build a nation and at the same time destroy what has been built over the
years by the means of language. This study, therefore, investigated the
morpho-stylistics of crisis motivated words in online newspaper
headlines of Kogi State election of 2019. The purpose of the study was to
identify and explain morpho-stylistically the linguistic features
dominant in such discourse that motivate or trigger crisis. The study
was anchored on Halliday’s (1984) aspects of Language Stratification of
SFG. The corpuses of the study which comprised ten headlines were
collected at random from ten online news platforms. The items were
analyzed in accordance with the tenets of Language Stratification of SFG.
The findings revealed that the morphological formations dominant in
the headlines that are capable of motivating crisis were compounding
and neologisms or coinages; and those formations mark the style of the
editors/authors. It is concluded that words could indeed trigger crisis if
not properly managed. It is, therefore, recommended that editors and
authors should select their words carefully before publishing in order
to avert the unforeseen crisis.
Keywords: morphostylistics, News headlines, Kogi Elections, language
stratification and crisis motivated words.
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INTRODUCTION
Language, they say, could be used as an instrument of war or peace; it all depends on how it is used.
One’s choice of words and manner of uttering them could trigger war or cause crisis if the content
and form are not properly managed (Agu, 2015). This probably explains why some headlines in
both print and electronic media are crisis motivated because of the editors’ choice of words and
manner of structuring them. It is true that euphemism helps to reduce tension in some news
contents but editors or reporters prefer to often use the direct words of the users which, sometimes,
provoke the other party being addressed. A language situation of this such, therefore, is worthy of
study in order to identify and explain morpho-stylistically the linguistic features dominant in such
discourse that motivate or trigger crisis.
Meanwhile, Lamichhane (2017) says that newspaper headline is a key element in newspaper as it
conveys the main message to the readers and it works with the visual to get attention and
communicate the creative concept. He goes on to add that the headline is one text which can carry
the message of the body part of new story. The headline should persuade the readers that there is
persuasive information in the body part of the text. Words that trigger crisis, just like the body part,
attract readers’ attention. Differently, Morpho-stylistics is a term that is coined from the analogy of
morphology and stylistics. Agbedo (2015) defines morphology as one of the levels of linguistic
analysis that seeks to study the internal structure of a word. Morphology, therefore, studies word
structure and how words change their forms when they change grammatical function. On the other
hand, stylistics as a branch of applied linguistics, has received different definitions from different
scholars in language and literary circle. In 1909, Charles Bally’s Traite de Stylistique Francaise had
proposed stylistics an academic discipline. Roman Jakobson used ‘poetic language’ to designate the
style of a literary text which is used to distinctively mark the language of literature from ordinary
or everyday language. Currently, stylistics is understood to mean “a method of textual
interpretation which the primacy of place is assigned to language” (Simpson, 2004, p. 2). Crystal
and Davy (1969) view stylistics as a linguistic discipline that studies certain aspects of language
variation. From the above scholarly definitions, stylistics in a nutshell, could be understood to mean
the linguistic study of style. Morpho-stylistics, therefore, is the study of morphological features that
are embedded in a text that mark the text producer’s linguistic idiosyncrasies. In the context of this
study, morpho-stylistics connotes the study of words and phrases that follow similar or different
morphological processes preponderantly deployed in online news headlines that motivate crisis.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In recent times, scholars have focused attention in stylistics to describe the operation of language
across disciplines because stylistics has remained a valid tool in analyzing language operations. It
is in the light of this that Ryzhkov (2010) and (2012) analyzed the morpho-stylistics of derivation
in Korean language translated in Russian and Ukrainian. The studies suggested that prefixation is a
valid method for deriving nouns which bears emotional or expressive coloration. Ali (2015), on his
part did a morpho-semantic reading of the Glorious Koran translated in English. The study
discussed the practical aspect in rendering some morphologically assimilated shift into English. It
is found that there are context-bound morphologically shifts in the text. Also, the finding postulates
that change in morphological patterns is due to some certain rhetorical considerations, driven from
context, as a reliable criterion for determining the intended meaning. These studies are related the
present work in terms of morphology; however, these scholars did not extend their works to cover
online new headlines that motivate crisis. More closely, Pam (2012) Agu (2015), Hassoon (2016),
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Zubairu, B. S., Kefas, J., Victoria, L., & Joekin, E. (2020). Morpho-Stylistic Analysis Of Crisis Motivated Words In Online Newspaper Headlines Of Kogi State
Election Of 2019. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 532-540.
and Lamichhane (2017) stylistically investigated newspaper reportages and headlines,
respectively. These scholars found that print media used figurative, graphological, lexico-semantic,
and syntactic features in the reports and headlines. However, the present study primarily concern
itself with the analysis of crisis motivated headlines in online news platforms in Kogi election for
2019. From the review, it is evidently clear that as important as Kogi election was, and as important
as media discourse and stylistics are in the domain of language, there seemed not to be an in-depth
linguistic scholarship on crisis motivated words and phrases in online news platforms from the
standpoint of morphology and stylistics. This gap is what the paper intends to fill.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This study adopts aspects of M.A.K. Halliday’s (1985) Language Stratification of Systemic Functional
Grammar (SFG). Halliday propounded the theory of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) in early
1960s. Halliday’s work has a foundation on the works of Ferdinand de Saussure, Louis Hjelmslev,
Malinowsi and the Prague School Linguists. In a similar way, Halliday drew insights from the works
of American anthropologists Boas, Sapir and Whorf. However, Halliday’s greatest inspiration came
from J.R. Firth, the man who he owes the notion of language as a semiotic system. So, Systemic
Functional Grammar (SFG) is an approach to linguistics that considers language as a social semiotic
system. SFG is, therefore, a language theory centered around the notion of language function
(Halliday, 1985). In other words, Halliday emphasizes how language functions in texts (spoken or
written) and the nexus between language and what it is used for. Hallidayan theory describes a text
as any instance of language, in any medium, that makes sense to someone who knows the language.
Meaning is reached through language but text is the process of making meaning in context.
Language Stratification
Halliday (1994) contends that language is a semiotic system, which consists of various strata or
levels. He adds that the strata cover the sound system (phonology), the writing system and the
wordings (orthography or graphology) and grammar (vocabulary, morphology and syntax). Here,
we noticed that grammar and vocabulary are not different strata; they are poles of a single
continuum known as Lexicogrammar (Hassan, 1987). In a like manner, morphology and syntax are
not different strata; they are both part of grammar. Furthermore, Halliday expands the ‘content’ into
two, a lexicogrammar and semantics (Halliday & Mathiessen, 1999). This is, therefore, what enables
the meaning of a language to expand more or less indefinitely. The rationale for this expansion can
best be explained in terms of the functions which language serves in the lives of humans (Halliday
& Mathiessen, 2014).
Halliday and Mathiessen (2014) emphasize that we use language in carrying out interaction with
other people. This suggests that grammar has to interface with what goes on outside the language
but at same time, it has to organize to interpret reality (experiential function) and to enact social
processes (interpersonal function), so that they can be transformed into wordings (textual
Function). This is achieved by splitting the task into two. In stage one, the interface part, experiential
and interpersonal relationships are transformed into meanings; this is in the stratum of semantics.
In stage two, the meaning is further transformed into wordings; this is in the stratum of
lexicogrammar. These meanings are expressed from the viewpoint of the speaker or writer. Halliday
(1994) posits that language is broadly organized into four strata _ semantics, lexicogrammar,
phonology and phonetics. This organization is further reduced into ‘content’ and ‘expression’ strata.
‘Content’ is further reduced into lexicogrammar and semantics; while ‘expression’ is reduced to
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phonology and phonetics. It is pertinent to state that the expression strata represents the actual
mode of expression, that is, the use of sounds in sending messages across; while the content strata
represents the words on the page and the sense they carry.
From the foregoing theoretical discussions, Halliday justifies that text (spoken or written) may be
descriptively analyzed vis-à-vis language strata, since language is considered functional in the
society. Therefore, in the analysis of the current study, we shall adopt Halliday’s theory which cuts
across some levels of language (lexicology and morphology).
METHODOLOGY
The study is a descriptive survey. Data for the study were collected from ten Online News platforms:
(i) tribuneonlineng.com (ii) punchng.com News (iii) guardian.ng News, (iv) naijaloaded.com.ng
News (v) thecable.ng News (vi) peoplenpolitics.com News (vii) nigerianbulletin.com News, and
(viii) pmnewsnigeria.com. (ix) sunnewsonline.com News (x) legit.com News. These media
platforms, just like the conventional print and electronic media, disseminate latest information on
Nigerian political issues. News items concerning Kogi Election that preceded the election, the items
on the Election Day and post Election news items were collected for analysis. In other words, news
items that come one month before the election and one month after the election were gathered.
Using a simple random sampling technique, ten headlines were collected randomly from the ten
Online News platforms mentioned above. A total of ten headlines were used for the analysis. The
analysis was done in accordance with the tenet of aspects of language stratification of SFG.
Specifically, morphological features that mark the styles of the editors/authors of the News
platforms were selected for study.
DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSIONS
Text 1: punchng.com___ Congratulating Smart Adeyemi Same as Celebrating an Armed Robber
(1/12/2019)
The word “Armed Robber” is a word formed through the morphological process of compounding.
This involves the combination of two or more words. The combined words can be with a hyphen or
without it. The author’s choice of this word was to capture the attention of readers but the word
itself is crisis motivated. For example, Adeyemi’s supporters might likely find this headline
provoking thereby resorting to violence. However, there are other ways of rendering the same
message without using the word “Armed Robber.” According to Agu (2015), it is undisputable that
journalists build nation or even contribute in destroying what has been built over the years through
the medium of words.
Text 2: guardian.ng___ Dino Melaye, Smart Adeyemi Fight Dirty after Kogi West Senatorial
Election (2/12/2019)
Text 2 above contains the word “Fight Dirty” which is formed through the morphological process
of open compounding. This word is not only impolite but harsh and crisis motivated. Such a word
could ignite an unquenchable fire between the political supporters of the flag bearers of these
parties. However, the article would have a wider readership because of this choice of words but they
may induce crisis.
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Zubairu, B. S., Kefas, J., Victoria, L., & Joekin, E. (2020). Morpho-Stylistic Analysis Of Crisis Motivated Words In Online Newspaper Headlines Of Kogi State
Election Of 2019. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 532-540.
Text 3: tribuneonlineng.com ___ I Will Challenge Temporal, Evaporative and Short-lived Victory
of Adeyemi At Tribunal__ Melaye (1/12/2012)
In the text above, there are two key words that capture the attention of readers. They include
‘evaporative’ and ‘short-lived’. These words are provocative and could induce violence. The word
‘evaporative’ is derived from the word evaporate which means to transition from a liquid state into
gaseous state. Using this adjective to describe the victory of Adeyemi is very provocative because
those who stand to gain from this victory will fight. In the same way, the hyphenated compound
“short-lived” describes the Adeyemi’s victory as tentative. No political figure will be happy with such
description. He may encourage his supporters to resort to violence in order to scar the opposition.
Text 4: thecable.ng ___ Adeyemi Remains my Political Wife __Dino (2/12/2012)
The word “political wife” is a neologism coined from the word “politics” and “wife”. Dino Melaye
had used this same word previously because he had defeated Adeyemi severally in politics. The
word “political wife” is really derogatory because in Nigerian context women are subordinate to
men. By implication, Adeyemi is subordinate to Dino. Adeyemi as well as his supporters would find
this word annoying and provocative thereby it may trigger crisis.
Text 5: naijaloaded.com.ng ___ Dino Melaye is my Political Houseboy __Smart Adeyemi
(30/11/2019)
Just as Dino addressed Smart as his ‘political wife’, in response, Smart called him his ‘political
houseboy.’ This coinage could trigger Dino’s supporters to resort to uncivilized ways to retaliate. By
this action, a full blown crisis may ensue. However, using such a neologism could encourage high
patronage of the new item thereby increasing sale. But in reality, words of such negative magnitude
is indeed crisis inducing and should be avoided if possible.
Text 6: peoplenpolitics.com ___ Adeyemi is a ‘thief’ Dino Heads to Tribunal (2/12/2012)
The morpheme ‘thief’ is too blunt to be used to describe the victory of Smart Adeyemi. One is
innocent until proven guilty by law. However, the outright use of this word is capable to disrupting
peace. This is what we call politics of calumny or outright defamation of character which is
punishable by law. Anybody that is addressed as a thief may react to that extent that it might breach
the peace people enjoy. In a similar way, the supporters of the two parties might clash because of
such a word published in news headlines. This clash might take a bad turn and result to loss of lives
and property.
Text 7: nigerianbulletin.com ___ Thunder Fire You, Never Come To Our House Again, Senator’s
Daughter Blast Melaye___ Smart (5/9/2019)
The neologism “Thunder fire you” is coined using the combination of three words: ‘thunder’, ‘fire’
and ‘you’. This phrase is mostly used in Nigerian parlance to mean that “thunderbolt and its
lightening should strike anyone who is considered an enemy”. Here, Adeyemi’s daughter considers
Dino as her father’s political enemy, therefore, she evoked thunderbolt to kill him. This phrase is
capable of triggering war or at least crisis. How on earth could she wish somebody death because of
politics? The author and editor of this article should have euphemized the content of this headline
in order to avert the pending crisis that it might trigger. Dino as well as his supporters might
overreact through some overt and physical means; so, the choice of this phrase is inappropriate.
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Text 8: legit.com ___ Nigerians attack Buhari for Describing Yahaya Bello’s Emergence as
“Victory well won” (18/11/2019)
The headline above contains an open compound word ‘Victory well won’ which spurred wide
condemnation from members of the public. Although the compound word, structurally, does not
constitute a threat to people’s peace but the meaning that it carries is what makes it look bad.
Electorates and other election observers believed that the victory of Bello was manipulated but for
a number one citizen of a country to support such a victory with the use of this compound adjective
portrayed him as a bias personality. The compound word, therefore, stands binary opposite to what
the structure means. Using it by President Buhari is a call for crisis. This perhaps explains why
Nigerians reacted angrily when he used that phrase to describe the victory of Bello in Kogi
Governorship Election. The editor should have found another way of structuring the phrase or
compound for it not to motivate crisis.
Text 9: pmnewsnigeria.com ___ Kogi mayhem: PDP Woman leader burnt Alive, APC Supporter
Stabbed to death (19/11/2019)
Here, through the use of open compound, the editor and author of this article exposes the political
fight between PDP and APC during and after Kogi governorship election. The compounds “woman
leader” and “burnt alive” were used by the editor to describe the PDP woman who was unjustly
murdered immediately after the election. This ungodly act created a lot of tension in Kogi but some
of these media outlets made the tension to grow uncontrollably with the choice of words used in
headlines. For example, the phrasal verb “burnt alive” is in itself an emotional compound word that
could induce crisis which would further deteriorate the relative peace enjoyed. However, with this
kind of words making the headlines of national dailies, it would encourage high patronage because
readers would be curious to know what happened next. Aside this, the damage this word could
cause is, to say the least, unimaginable.
Text 10: sunnewsonline.com __2019 Election: BELLO MUST GO ___ Wada Campaign Council
12/11/2019)
In the text above, “ Bello Must Go” is a neologism coined from the famous phrase “Ghana Must Go”
used in Nigerian context. This coinage may not sound well to the supporters of Bello and as such, it
may resort to crisis. The choice of this word is inappropriate in time and space because at a period
like that, it is capable of motivating or inducing crisis.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Compounding and neologisms or coinages were found to be the dominant morphological processes
deployed by editors and authors of news articles on these media platforms. These morphological
formations were deliberately used in order to attract the attention of the general public on the
pressing political issues on the Kogi Elections. However, the editors’ and authors’ choices of words
seemed inappropriate because words of that nature have tendency of triggering crisis. In fact, the
supporters and the figures being addressed might misunderstand the intent of the news and
overreact thereby disrupting the relative peace people in the area enjoy. In the words of Agu
(2015), Journalists have the power to declare war or to pronounce peace by the means of language.
This study, therefore, confirms Agu’s position on the use of language by mass communicators. The
study also concludes that compounding and neologies are the two formations dominant in online
media used in the dissemination of information of whatever magnitude. Finally, these
morphological formations mark the style of these editors and authors that create these News
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Zubairu, B. S., Kefas, J., Victoria, L., & Joekin, E. (2020). Morpho-Stylistic Analysis Of Crisis Motivated Words In Online Newspaper Headlines Of Kogi State
Election Of 2019. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 532-540.
headlines. We have, therefore, demonstrated that News headlines could read morpho- stylistically
in the analysis of crisis motivated words through the instrumentality of Language Stratification of
Hallidayean SFG.
SUGGESTIONS
We suggest that editors and authors should select their words carefully before publishing in order
to avert an unforeseen crisis. In other words, they should apply the euphemistic technique in the
presentation of sensitive issues in news headlines. That alone will go a long way to preventing
crisis. Having said, we suggest also that scholars should carry further studies on the same topic
using Halliday’s Transitivity or Language Meta-functions.
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APPENDICES