Tenor in Electronic Media Christian Discourse in Nigeria

The paper examines tenor in electronic media discourse in Nigeria. Tenor is one of the register variables identified by Systemic linguistics. The paper looks at how preachers use their social role to relate with their audience in such media discourses as radio, television and the Internet. The preacher is usually the dominant speaker so he determines how his imaginary audience will respond to his message. Being the sole speaker, this increases his power to control the discourse. He uses mainly interrogatives, imperatives and declaratives to elicit responses from his imaginary listener/reader. Whichever electronic media used, the personal tenor of the discourse is that of the preacher as the knower/expert, while it has the pragmatic force of persuasion, exhortation and challenge for the listener.