Visual Grammar Approach to Sociosemiotics; A Study of Some Selected Cartoons in Nigerian Newspapers

Abstract

Cartoons are powerful communication weapon for disseminating information because they frequently condense complicated concepts and criticisms into a single visual frame. The aim of this study is to critically analyse some selected cartoons in Nigeria Newspapers using Gunther kress and Van Leeuwen’s visual grammar approach to sociosemiotics to unearth hidden meanings and confront societal concerns. Four cartoons were purposively excerpted from two Nigeria newspapers (Vanguard, Daily Trust) and were analysed using only the representational and interactive metafunctions of visual grammar. It was discovered from the study that cartoon is a semiotic mode that expands readers interpretative and audience repertoires and a contemporary lens for deciphering the intricate process of meaning-making, showing that cartoon strips are not just for mere entertainment.