Abstract
This
study examines the representation of Fulani herdsmen in Gregory Burton’s Background
Report: The Fulani Herdsmen via the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis
(CDA). Affixed in the theoretical frameworks of Noman Fairclough
three-dimensional parameter (2001a) and Teun A. van Dijk (2007), the research
investigates how linguistic choices construct identities, reproduce ideologies,
and sustain power relations within the text. The study adopts a qualitative
research design, concentrating on key discursive strategies such as negation,
nominalization, transitivity, modality and the use of metaphors. Findings
reveal that the report analytically depicts Fulani herdsmen within a security
discourse, frequently associating them with criminality, violence, and
conflict. The use of negative lexical items, agentless constructions, and
selective sourcing contributes to the portrayal of the group as homogeneous and
threatening “other”. The study argues that such representations are not neutral
but are socially constructed and politically situated, serving specific
interests and agendas. The research concludes that a more balanced and
context-sensitive approach to reporting is essential to avoid stereotyping and
misrepresentation.
Keywords: Critical Discourse
Analysis, Report, Fulani, Herdsmen
DOI: 10.36349/alqajolls.2026.v01i02.042
author/Yusuf Muhammad Jika & Ahmed Tanimu Jibril
journal/AL-QALAM JLLS 1(2) | June 2026
