Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of News Editorials on VP Sara Duterte’s Resignation

Abstract

This study examined the linguistic and visual strategies of the two news editorials—Daily Tribune and The Freeman—to determine the meaning and consequences of Duterte’s resignation in DepEd and on her political credibility. Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis was utilized to examine the textual and visual dimensions of the selected editorials. Leeuwen’s Social Actors Approach was used to analyze the linguistic representation of social actors, while Barthes’ Semiotic Theory guided the interpretation of the visual meanings of editorial cartoons.The Daily Tribune used beneficialization to frame Duterte’s resignation as advantageous to DepEd. In contrast, The Freeman emphasized activation and subjection, portraying Duterte as accountable for the consequences of her resignation. Both editorials acknowledged the pros and cons of resignation, while the visual analysis viewed hers as beneficial to DepEd but damaging to her credibility. The study reveals how editorials and cartoons shape public perceptions of accountability and leadership by framing political decisions, institutional consequences, public service, and officials’ credibility.