Research Articles
| Open Access |
https://doi.org/10.55640/ijssll-06-03-11
Genre and Persuasion: Rhetorical Structure of Online Editorials on the Nigerian Tax Reform Acts of 2025
Abstract
This article examines the rhetorical structures and persuasive strategies employed in online editorials addressing Nigeria's Tax Reform Acts of 2025. Using Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) as the analytical framework, the study analyzes three editorials from major Nigerian news outlets to identify how genre conventions and rhetorical relations construct persuasive arguments about fiscal policy. The findings reveal that editorials employ distinct rhetorical patterns that combine problem-solution structures with evidence-based argumentation, strategically positioning tax reform as either an economic necessity, a social imperative, or a technical modernization. The study demonstrates that RST provides a systematic approach to understanding how editorials organize discourse to achieve persuasive purposes within the public sphere, contributing to broader understanding of editorial genre conventions in policy discourse.
Keywords
Rhetorical Structure Theory, editorial genre, persuasion, tax reform, discourse analysis, Nigerian media
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Samuel Oyeyemi Agbeleoba, BAMISAYE Toyin, Janet Olufunke Bello (Author)
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