MODAL AUXILIARIES IN SELECTED NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS ON MEDICAL BRAIN DRAIN IN NIGERIA

Authors

  • Olufunke O. Fagunleka National Orientation Agency, Research Department
  • David Olorunsogo Pan-Atlantic University, Institute of Humanities, English Unit

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21618/fil2226151f

Keywords:

modality, newspaper editorials, brain drain, media discourse, deontic modality, epistemic modality, dynamic modality, modal auxiliary verbs

Abstract

This paper explores the conscious deployment of modal auxiliary verbs by the media to project stances and opinions on the topical issue of medical brain drain in Nigeria. Data, which comprised a total of 12 editorials on the issue of brain drain in the Nigerian health sector, were sourced from four Nigerian newspapers (Punch, The Guardian, Daily Trust, The Sun) published between 2018-2022. The identified modal verbs were categorised based on Palmer’s (1986; 1990) classification of modality: deontic, epistemic and dynamic. The modal auxiliaries are used to stir up the emotion of concern, project the duty of government and predictions about doctors’ exodus attempts, and communicate the disposition of the government towards the issue. The editorials are marked with modal auxiliary verbs intended to draw the attention of the public to the responsibilities of the government and the possible outcomes of taking (or not) necessary actions to tackle the menace of medical brain drain.

References

Abubakre, F. (2017), ‘Influencing the message: the role of Media Ownership on the press coverage of the 2015 Presidential Electoral Campaign in Nigeria’, Brazilian Journalism Research, 13(3), 60-85.

Adebayo, A. and Akinyemi, O. (2022), ‘“What Are You Really Doing in This Country?”: Emigration Intentions of Nigerian Doctors and Their Policy Implications for Human Resource for Health Management’, Int. Migration & Integration, 23, 1377-1396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00898-y

Akinwumi, A., Solomon, O., Ajayi, P., Ogunleye, T., Ilesanmi, O. and Ajayi, A. (2022), ‘Prevalence and pattern of migration intention of doctors undergoing training programmes in public tertiary hospitals in Ekiti State, Nigeria’, Human Resources Health, 20(76), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-022-00772-7

Alfred, B. (2021), ‘Constructing ideology through modality in newspaper editorials on security challenges in Nigeria’, Linguistik online, 108(3), 3-18.

Bakuuro, J. and Diedong, A. (2020), ‘A critical discourse analysis of language in Ghanaian newspaper editorials’, Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 7(1), 45-60.

Bonyadi, A. (2011), ‘Linguistic Manifestations of Modality in Newspaper Editorials’, International Journal of Linguistics, 3(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v3i1.799

Carter, R. and Nash, W. (1990), Seeing through language: a guide to styles of English writing. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Cowell, A. (1982), ‘World oil glut cramps Nigeria’s development.’ The New York Times, 25 November. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/26/business/world-oil-glut-cramps-nigeria-s-development.html (Accessed: 15 February 2022).

Crystal, D. (1985), A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. New York: Basil Blackwell Ltd.

Depraetere, I. (2015), ‘Categorization principles of modal meaning categories: a critical assessment’, Anglophonia, 19(19). https://doi.org/10.4000/anglophonia.476

Eggins, S. (2004), An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. 2nd edn. Manchester, Great Britain: Continuum.

Elyazale, N. (2014), ‘Characteristics of Newspaper Editorials: “Chouftchouf ” in “Almassae” Moroccan newspaper as a Case Study’, New Media and Mass Communication, 32, 21-42.

Fagunleka, O. (2021), ‘Linguistic representation of social actors and ideology in economic and financial crimes reports in selected Nigerian newspapers’, Thesis, University of Ibadan.

Fatunmole, M. (2022), ‘Four doctors to 10,000 population, Nigeria’s highest in two decades’ International Centre for Investigative Reporting. 17 March. Available at: https://www.icirnigeria.org/four-doctors-to-10000-population-nigerias-highestin-two-decades-data/ (Accessed: 12 May 2022).

Funamoto, H. (1999), ‘A Systemic Functional Analysis of Modal Verbs and Other Related Expressions in English: Towards Semantic System Networks for Modality’, Thesis, Doshisha University.

Halliday, M. A. K. (1994), An Introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.

Halliday, M.A.K. and Matthiessen, C. (2004), An introduction to functional grammar. 3rd edn. London: Hodder Education and Hachette U.K. Company.

Hatzidaki, O. (2011), “Greek Men’s and Women’s Magazines as Codes of Gender Conduct: The Appropriation and Hybridisation of Deontic Modality.” In Living with Patriarchy – Discursive Constructions of Gendered Subjects across Public Spheres, edited by Danijela Majstorovic and Inger Lassen, 113–144. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/dapsac.45.08hat

Jäger, S. (2001), ‘Discourse and Knowledge. Theoretical and methodological aspects of a critical discourse and dispositive analysis’ in R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis, 32-62. London: Sage publications.

Khan, A., Rahman, G. and Iqbal, S. (2020), ‘A critical discourse analysis of discursive reproduction of ideologies in Pakistani and Indian press media in the aftermath of Pulwama attack’, Global Social Sciences Review, 5(3), 146-155. DOI: 10.31703/gssr.2020(v-iii).16

Kollar, E. and Buyx, A. (2013), ‘Ethics and policy of medical brain drain: a review’, Swiss Medical Weekly, 143(3845), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2013.13845

Kreidler, C.W. (1998), Introducing English Semantics. London: Routledge.

Lawal, O. (2015), ‘Pragmatics of truth and modality in newspaper editorials: an example of the Punch and the Tribune’, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(4), p688-693. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0504.03

Lillian, D. (2008), ‘Modality, persuasion and manipulation in Canadian conservative discourse’, Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines, 2(1), 1-16.

Mahmood, T, Kausar, G. and Khan, G. (2018), ‘A critical discourse analysis of the editorials of "Dawn" and "The New York Times" in the aftermath of Army Public School attack. The "Us" versus "Them" ideology’, Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 6(2), 1-17.

Marques, F. and Mont’Alverne, C. (2019), ‘What are newspaper editorials interested in? Understanding the idea of criteria of editorial-worthiness’, Journalism, 1-19. DOI: 10.1177/1464884919828503

Mwiti, L. (2018), ‘Nigeria losing about a dozen doctors to the UK every week’, Africa Check, 30 April. Available at: https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/spotchecks/nigerialosing-about-dozen-doctors-uk-every-week (Accessed: 10 January, 2022).

Nigeria Health Watch. (2019), Emigration of Nigeria medical doctors: survey report. Available at: https://noi-polls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Emigration-ofDoctors-Press-Release-July-2018-Survey-Report.pdf (Accessed: 10 March 2022).

Ogunwale, T. (2008), Advanced editorial writing and specialised reporting. Ibadan: Penmen’s Press Services Agency.

Olorunsogo, D. (2021), ‘Politeness strategies and pragmatic functions in doctorpatient interactions in Private Hospitals in Akure’, Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 10(1), 353-371.

Olorunsogo, D. and Akinade, O. (2020), ‘“I’m upset with China”: Evaluation of President Donald Trump’s Stances on Coronavirus Pandemic’, Ibadan Journal of Pea ce & Development, 10(1), 119-131.

Olorunsogo, D. and Ige, M. (2022), ‘Other Representations in Politics: “O To Ge” Rhetoric in Nigeria’s Election Campaigns’, Journal of Humanistic and Social Studies, 13(2), 149-162.

Osisanwo, A. (2022), ‘“This Virus is a Common Threat to All Humans”: Discourse Representation of COVID-19 in Selected Newspaper Editorials’, Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 8(1), 59-78.

Palmer, F. (1986), Modality and the English modals. London: Longman Group Limited.

Palmer, F. (1990), Modality and the English Modals. London and New York: Longman.

Palmer, F. (2003), ‘Modality in English: Theoretical, descriptive and typological issues’ in Facchinetti, R., Krug, M. and Palmer, F. (eds.) Modality in Contemporary English. New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1-17.

Punch Editorial Board. (2020), ‘Curbing medical brain drain during COVID-19 pandemic’. Punch. 30 July. Available at: https://punchng.com/curbing-medical-braindrain-during-covid-19-pandemic/ (Accessed: 31 July 2022).

Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. and Svartvik, J. (1985), A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman.

Ramalan, M. and Garba, R. (2021), ‘Determinants of Nigerian medical doctors' willingness to practice in foreign countries’, Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 30(5), 543- 547.

Rui, Z. and Jingxia, L. (2018), ‘The study on the interpersonal meanings of modality in micro-blogging English news discourse by the case of “Donald Trump’s Muslim entry ban”’, Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(2), 110-118.

Simpson, P. (1993), Language, ideology and point of view. London: Routledge.

Sunday, A. and Fagunleka, O. (2017), ‘Generic structure potential analysis of feature articles in Nigerian newspapers’, Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 18(1), 108- 130.

The Guardian Editorial Board. (2019), ‘NMA and unbridled doctors’ exodus’, The Guardian, 25 September. Available at: https://guardian.ng/opinion/nma-andunbridled-doctors-exodus/ (Accessed: 15 January 2022).

van Dijk, T. (1996), ‘Opinions and Ideologies in Editorials’, Paper at the 4th International Symposium of Critical Discourse Analysis, Language, Social Life and Critical Thought, Athens, 14-16 December, 1995.

von Fintel, K. (2006), “Modality and language”. Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2nd edn. Ed.D.M. Borchert. Detroit: MacMillan Reference USA. http://mit.edu/fintel/www/modality.pdf

Winiharti, M. (2012), ‘The difference between modal verbs in deontic and epistemic modality’, HUMANIORA, 3(2), 532-539.

Wodak, R. and Meyer, M. (2001), Methods of critical discourse analysis. London: Sage.

World Health Organisation. (2006), ‘The world health report: 2006: working together for health’, World Health Organization. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43432 (Accessed: 05 January 2022).

Downloads

Published

2022-12-31

How to Cite

Fagunleka, O. O. ., & Olorunsogo , D. . (2022). MODAL AUXILIARIES IN SELECTED NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS ON MEDICAL BRAIN DRAIN IN NIGERIA . PHILOLOGIST – Journal of Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies, 13(26), 151–169. https://doi.org/10.21618/fil2226151f