The Evaluative Lexicogrammar Used to Depict the Uganda Police Force in Fire News Reports

Abstract

This study examines the depiction of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) in fire news discourse. It explains the evaluative lexicogrammar that news writers invoke to portray UPF response during fire emergencies. Consequently, the study analyses two news reports published on 26 February 2009 about a fire incident at the Park Yard Market, one of the largest markets in Uganda. Using a discourse analytical research design, it explores how New Vision and Daily Monitor journalists depict UPF in fire news discourse. The study is guided by the Appraisal theoretical framework, engaging two resources of Attitude (i.e., Judgment and Appreciation) in the analysis of hard news stories. The results across the two news reports demonstrate that the writers largely invoked material process verbs because crisis management requires more police actions than descriptions. The process verbs are followed by noun phrases, adverbs, adverbials, and patterns of reported speech. This study contributes to discourse analysis since it demonstrates how specific evaluative lexicogrammar constructs evaluative meaning in news reporting. It also illustrates the practical use of appraisal theory in analysing the conduct and performance of entities such as the Uganda Police Force. The study further advances appraisal theory by revealing that, alongside the established evaluative polarities (i.e., positive and negative), evaluators can also take on vague or neutral positions. This article is extracted from my PhD project. Further research on different fire categories should be conducted to explore the nature of language used to portray police performance. This will reinforce the current study by expanding the sampling frame and scope of content