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Discourse, Power, and Corporate Responsibility: A CDA Approach to Oil Spill Narratives in Nigerian Newspapers
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Humanities
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1720043
Abstract
Oil spillage in the Niger Delta represents a persistent environmental crisis with severe socio-economic and ecological consequences. This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how Nigerian newspapers—The Punch and Vanguard—frame oil spill incidents, revealing the underlying power structures, corporate responsibility, and state inaction. Using Fairclough's three-dimensional model, the study analyses textual features, discursive practices, and sociocultural contexts to uncover dominant narratives, linguistic strategies, and their implications for public perception, policy-making, and environmental justice. Findings indicate that media reports often construct oil spill narratives through emotionally charged language, historical references, and victim-oppressor framings, emphasising community suffering while downplaying corporate accountability. The government is frequently absent from these narratives, reinforcing patterns of regulatory failure and corporate impunity. While the media serves as a platform for environmental advocacy, its framing strategies sometimes reflect broader ideological biases that obscure deeper systemic issues. The study concludes that a more critical and investigative media approach is essential to holding corporations and the government accountable, fostering environmental justice, and influencing more robust policy interventions.
Keywords
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Oil Spillage, Media Framing, Environmental Justice, Corporate Accountability
How to cite this paper
@article{1720043,
author = {Adeyemo, Nelson Gbenga, Ogidan, Olajide Felix},
title = {Discourse, Power, and Corporate Responsibility: A CDA Approach to Oil Spill Narratives in Nigerian Newspapers},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {3193-3199},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1720043.pdf},
abstract = {Oil spillage in the Niger Delta represents a persistent environmental crisis with severe socio-economic and ecological consequences. This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how Nigerian newspapers—The Punch and Vanguard—frame oil spill incidents, revealing the underlying power structures, corporate responsibility, and state inaction. Using Fairclough's three-dimensional model, the study analyses textual features, discursive practices, and sociocultural contexts to uncover dominant narratives, linguistic strategies, and their implications for public perception, policy-making, and environmental justice. Findings indicate that media reports often construct oil spill narratives through emotionally charged language, historical references, and victim-oppressor framings, emphasising community suffering while downplaying corporate accountability. The government is frequently absent from these narratives, reinforcing patterns of regulatory failure and corporate impunity. While the media serves as a platform for environmental advocacy, its framing strategies sometimes reflect broader ideological biases that obscure deeper systemic issues. The study concludes that a more critical and investigative media approach is essential to holding corporations and the government accountable, fostering environmental justice, and influencing more robust policy interventions.},
keywords = {Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Oil Spillage, Media Framing, Environmental Justice, Corporate Accountability},
month = {July},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1720043}
}