Moralizing Illegal Mining: A Corpus‐Assisted Appraisal Analysis of Media Reports on Galamsey (2020–2024)

ABSTRACT Using Martin and White's appraisal framework, this study investigated attitudinal resources in Ghanaian media reportage on galamsey. Analysis of 502 media reports revealed a discourse dominated by judgement resources, constructing galamsey as a moral and ethical issue. The study identified competing narratives around environmental devastation, governance failure, and socioeconomic injustice. The findings show how the media reports' judgement framing supports military interventions over structural reforms, neglecting fundamental factors causing galamsey, and threatening sustainable development. They further contribute to environmental discourse analysis. The study recommends policy interventions that prioritize institutional reforms and regulatory capacity building over military crackdowns. Future studies are suggested to consider diachronic and comparative analyses.