Discourse Analysis of Select Radio Jingles on Lassa fever Risk Communication in the most endemic states in Nigeria

Ben-Enukora, Charity (2023) Discourse Analysis of Select Radio Jingles on Lassa fever Risk Communication in the most endemic states in Nigeria. ANCHOR UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (AUJMSS), 4. pp. 30-48.

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Abstract

The quality of risk communication during outbreak of epidemics and pandemics is based on its ability to meet the specific needs of all populations using appropriate languages, speech acts, and cultural sensitiveness. This study employed discourse analysis to examine the language use, speech acts and the discourse context in radio jingles used for Lassa fever (LF) outbreak communication in the most endemic states (Ebonyi, Edo and Ondo) in Nigeria. The discourse corpora consisted six purposively selected radio jingles aired by government owned radio stations between 2018 and 2020. The results show a preponderance of simple vocabulary, similar pattern of themes, predominance of direct address, assertive and expressive statements with lesser declarative and commissure illocution speech acts, and informal setting and linguistic politeness in Pidgin jingles whereas the English versions utilized more formal background, declarative statements and detached characters. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for future risk communication interventions for Lassa fever and other febrile epidemics.

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