Gendered English Usage in the Nigerian Newspapers (Published)
As Nigerian newspapers have been observed as catalysts to literacy development in the country, this paper investigates the use of gendered English among high-ranking print journalists in selected reputable newspapers in Nigeria. This is considered essential to be able to assess the level of gender awareness and sensitivity of the Nigerian journalists, as agents of mass communication and information dissemination who have the opportunity to reach large audience/readers and influence them through their writing. In other words, the study seeks to assess the Nigerian journalists’ compliance with the global trend of the 21st century English language in plying their trade as journalists. Data for the study were collected from four widely read English medium Nigerian daily newspapers, namely, The Herald, The Nigerian Observer, The Guardian, and Punch. The study finds out that Nigerian newspapers still portray high degree of the use of gender-bias expressions in their editorials, news, and features, which are usually handled by experienced editors, senior writers/reporters and columnists. Some of these gendered expressions are identified, described and their implication for English language usage in the Nigeria print media discussed. The study makes some suggestions that are capable of bringing about positive and desired linguistic change in the Nigerian print media in adopting gender-fair writing; which will eventually go a long way in improving English literacy in the country in general.
Keywords: English Literacy, Gender-Bias, Gendered English, Newspapers