A Linguistic Analysis of Metaphor in Journalism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60072/ijeissah.2025.v4i01.009Abstract
The current study is a comparative linguistic analysis of metaphor use in media texts published between 2018 and 2023 in English, Uzbek, and Karakalpak newspapers. This period was selected due to its linguistic richness and sociopolitical intensity, characterized by international crises, regional transformations, and the intensification of digital media activities. This study looks at how metaphors work as tools for thinking, values, and style in various media settings, based on Lakoff and Johnson's (2003) cognitive metaphor theory and other cultural approaches. The object of this study is metaphorical expressions, selected for analysis, ensuring an optimal degree of thematic extension and analytical intensity. These metaphorical expressions were removed from the news articles in The Guardian, The New York Times, Yangi O'zbekiston, and Erkin Qaraqalpaqstan since these newspapers were chosen for their national representativeness, thematic range, linguistic diversity, and ideological significance. Each of them reflects the dominant media discourse within their own sociocultural contexts, thus providing a well-balanced corpus for cross-linguistic metaphor research. The metaphors were grouped categorically into topics such as politics, economics, health, and social issues. These findings put metaphor at the forefront of media linguistics, demonstrating its potential to enhance mediating between language, thought, and culture. The study calls for the introduction of metaphor awareness into media literacy practice to facilitate critical reading and intercultural communication.
Keywords:
Comparative Linguistics, Cross-cultural Analysis, Cultural Mentality, Ideological Framing, Journalistic Discourse, Metaphor in MediaReferences
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