“…you were reared”: Response Comments on Verbal Attacks in Political Discourse on GhanaWeb

Abstract

This article focuses on response comments related to the use of offensive language in Ghanaian political discourse on GhanaWeb ( www.ghanaweb.com ). Data were obtained from the Corpus of GhanaWeb Comments on Ghana's 2016 Election (CGCGE16). The article examines the various ways some commenters react to inappropriate use of language on this online platform. It demonstrates that although interaction on GhanaWeb is characterised by pseudonymity and asynchronicity, there are some commenters who play the role of regulatory figures and traditional gatekeepers of appropriate communicative behaviour as they disapprove of the use of abusive language. Practically, these commenters do not contribute to the topic under discussion in a comment thread. Rather, they focus on the negative communicative practice of others and attempt to reinforce the social expectation that Ghanaians must exercise the right to freedom of speech within the limits of their socio-cultural norms and values. This research can serve as a springboard for further research on this communicative behaviour in other socio-cultural contexts.