Metaphor Representations Of Natural Hazards: A Critical Metaphor Analysis Of Metaphors Used In Typhoon Molave News Coverage

Abstract

Metaphor is a powerful rhetorical strategy used to convey information about events or issues and to highlight specific themes or narratives in news stories. This is because metaphors function to link an abstract concept to a more familiar and relatable concept. Scholars have focused on investigations of conceptual metaphors in political, economic, and, recently, COVID-19 discourses. However, metaphorical expressions in news discourse of natural hazards have been less explored. Therefore, this article aims to examine metaphors used in coverage of extreme weather events, specifically Typhoon Molave, which caused heavy damage to lives and property in the Philippines and Vietnam in 2020. This article applies Chateris-Black's (2004) critical metaphor analysis (CMA) to (i) identify prevalent conceptual metaphors in the typhoon coverage, and (ii) interpret the link between the use of these metaphors and the cultural and ideological context. Two hundred thirty-four news articles about Typhoon Molave, published in four major Vietnamese online newspapers, were analyzed. The findings show that war-related metaphors were prevalent in the news discourse of Typhoon Molave. The analysis and interpretation also show that metaphors not only capture the audience's attention but also shed light on the influence of political and cultural contexts on their use.