Framing Social Reality through Language: A Transitivity Analysis of News Discourse in the Philippines

Language in media serves not only as a tool for communication but as a powerful instrument for framing reality and influencing public perception, particularly during times of crisis. This study investigates how Philippine media networks—ABS-CBN, GMA, and CNN Philippines—framed the COVID-19 vaccination campaign through the lens of Halliday’s transitivity analysis under Systemic Functional Grammar. A mixed-method design, combining qualitative content analysis with quantitative frequency counts, was employed to examine news articles published throughout the pandemic. The findings reveal distinct framing strategies across the networks: ABS-CBN emphasized authoritative voices, focusing on verbal processes through statements and directives from officials; GMA highlighted government-led actions, utilizing material processes to portray concrete vaccination efforts; and CNN Philippines balanced material processes with mental processes, appealing to both action and unity while foregrounding citizen involvement. Across all networks, the government emerged as the dominant participant. This study underscores that media discourse during the pandemic was not a neutral reflection of events but an ideological construction of social reality. By illustrating how linguistic choices framed responsibility, authority, and cooperation, this research contributes to the broader scholarship on the role of language and media in shaping public health narratives.