Metaphorical Framing Research Articles

Framing in media and communication studies: A bibliometric analysis

This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of framing and frame theory in media and communication studies, utilizing Web of Science (WOS) data from 2014 to 2023. Framing, as a critical concept in media discourse, shapes public perception by highlighting specific aspects of information while downplaying others. Despite its central role in political communication, news framing, and social media research, there is a notable gap in better incorporating linguistic perspectives, particularly metaphor framing, within the existing literature. Using VOSviewer, this study analyzes co-occurrence networks and thematic clusters to map the evolving landscape of framing research. The results reveal key areas of focus, including political communication, science communication, and identity politics on social media platforms, while also highlighting the underrepresentation of linguistic approaches. This analysis not only identifies influential authors and institutions but also underscores the need for further integrating cognitive linguistic theories, such as metaphor framing, to deepen our understanding of how media discourse constructs reality. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for future research, calling for more interdisciplinary studies to explore the complex mechanisms underlying media framing.

Metaphorical framing of political events through ENTERTAINMENT scenarios

Abstract The article sets out to examine the entertainment source domain and its scenarios as realised in the media discourse surrounding political events in Belarus in 2021. Metaphorical scenarios are investigated considering different viewpoints, such as those presented in Lithuanian, German, and Russian media. The methodological framework is a blend of Cognitive Linguistics and Critical Discourse Studies, embracing the viewpoint (Sweetser, 2012), Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black, 2005), metaphorical scenarios (Musolff, 2016), and framing (Hart, 2014). The results demonstrate that the entertainment domain acquires multiple scenarios depending on the viewpoint. The evaluation attached to the scenarios is mostly negative; however, the viewpoint adopted in Lithuanian and German discourses is very different from Russian discourse. The former is based on Western values and targets the authoritarian regime, whereas the latter is Russian-centric, with the Western world posited as a major threat to the Belarusian and Russian societies.

Towards Ethical AI Moderation in Multiplayer Games

AI is increasingly being used to moderate player behaviour in online multiplayer games, working to identify and respond to toxic and problematic conduct with greater efficiency and accuracy than existing automated systems. However, little work has explored the application of AI moderation in the gaming ecosystem, despite growing ethical concerns about AI applications in other domains. In this study, we conducted 2 expert workshops and interviewed 26 players and industry professionals on their understandings, perceptions and experiences with AI moderation in multiplayer games. Applying a metaphorical frame via template analysis, we outline four metaphors that capture participants' views on the roles of AI and automation in moderation: the Unreliable Police Force, the Unscrupulous Governor, the Uncaring Judge, and the Untiring Assistant. We discuss these roles as exacerbating a top-down, punitive online justice system and identify ethical concerns around transparency, fairness and inclusion, privacy, and human-AI collaboration. To address these concerns, we put forward a set of ethical design considerations and alternative roles for AI moderation in multiplayer games.

Figurative Narratives in Political Blogging: Linguocognitive Perspective

Introduction. Recent years have seen a significant shift towards the pervasive use of figurative narratives in mediated political communication. Narrative practices, previously analyzed exclusively within the framework of literary theory, have become a kind of «language games» of modern politicians in their communication with potential voters and opponents, debates and intricate negotiation processes. The article analyzes figurative narratives of the English- and German-speaking political blogs as a powerful linguistic-cognitive tool for mediated political communication. The purpose of the paper is deep semantic analysis of figurative narratives of political blogs, which, as the authors claim, is a promising direction of research due to the narrative nature of human reasoning. The paper argues that the skillful use of figurative narrative practices based on archetypical plots and cultural references makes it possible to manipulate the consciousness of the electorate to achieve political goals.Methodology and sources. Methodologically, the study is based on the cognitive-discursive approach to narrative analysis and the basic principles of the neural theory of language and metaphor.Results and discussion. Pointing to the manipulative effect of metaphorical framing in narrative, the authors attempt to present a holistic view of narrative as a tool for the formation of political views. The study is based on the premise that narrative employs the rich structure of human representations of events and actions, and the type of metaphor promoted in the narrative affects human understanding of events and the adoption of certain positions on an important public issue by readers of political blogs. The set of metaphors, politicians use, forms a special type of cultural narrative, which the authors interpret as an extended metaphorical narrative.Conclusion. Summarizing the effects of using metaphorically framed narratives in politics, the authors conclude that the narrative communication strategy in political blogging is a targeted impact on a communication partner by referring to various narrative plots; the modification or transformation of the potential and diversity of political narratives, as well as their effectiveness, speaks in favor of their use in domestic and foreign policy communication to contribute to a symmetrical communication space aimed at successful cooperation rather than confrontation.

COGNITIVE ORGANISATION OF LITERARY IMAGE: METAPHORICAL FRAMING

Topicality of studying the artistic image, its ontological status and complex of functions in the paradigm of modern linguistics is determined by the need to understand the specifics of an artistic text as a result of the verbal and mental activity of the author and the receptive-interpretative activity of the reader in the process of aesthetic communication. An artistic image embodies the main qualities of an artistic text – its conceptual inability to reflect objective reality within the framework of conventionality or life-like strategies. A literary text appeals to the network of associative connections that arise for the addressee of an aesthetic statement in the process of perceiving such a text on the basis of everyday and spiritual experience, background knowledge, including those determined by the general cultural outlook of the individual. In the process of research, it was proven that an artistic image arises in the process of abstraction and in an artistic text can be realised through metaphors, as a result of which the reader gets the opportunity to decode implicit meanings with the help of visual representations and verbalise them. Based on the texts of novels by Vladimir Orlov “Danilov, the Violist”, “Pharmacist” and “Shevrikuka” it is established that the cognitive organisation of an artistic image is determined by metaphorical framing, which forms the foundation of artistic fiction: there is a transfer by similarity in relation to situations, events, characteristics of characters represented in artistic text, and knowledge, values and meanings that form the foundation of the addressee’s worldview.

Medical metaphors in the conservation discourse: insights from critical metaphor analysis

This article explores the use of medical metaphors in conservation discourse, analysing their impact on shaping the concept of conservation through the lens of cognitive linguistics and sociology. Through analysis of 120 papers from the ICOM-CC Theory, History and Ethics Working Group, metaphors such as the conservation object is a human being and the conservator is a doctor were identified. The study reveals how these metaphors frame conservation as a beneficent act of caring for an object, akin to medical treatment. However, it also highlights limitations in explaining stakeholder involvement and community autonomy, the stages of conservation actions, and more nuanced concepts of damage. While this article does not argue against the use of medical metaphors in conservation, it aims to raise awareness of those limitations deriving from the use of complex and fluid concepts in both fields. In conclusion, this study advocates for further research to explore culture-specific features and chronological changes in the use of metaphors to promote a deeper understanding of cross-cultural and inter-generational communications in conservation.

Consequences of Metaphor Frames for Education: From Beliefs to Facts Through Language

Consequences of Metaphor Frames for Education: From Beliefs to Facts Through Language

Weathering Words: A Cross-linguistic Analysis of Metaphorical Frames of Climate Change Discourse in English and German Online News Outlets

Climate change is undeniably a major challenge of the 21st century and those to come. While scientists agree on this, the public does not as opinions range from climate change deniers to those who devote their lives to fighting it. News media play a crucial role in shaping the public’s opinion on climate change and as they have a significant influence on the public discourse. This paper offers a cross-linguistic comparison of conceptual climate change metaphors in online news outlets from four different countries and two languages. Using conceptual metaphor analysis, I identified prevalent source domains to conceptualize the causes, effects, and responses to climate change. Overall, I found three shared metaphorical frames: war, destination, and construction, as well as additional metaphors in each language. The analysis revealed war and destination as most dominant source domains through which effects and responses are framed. This suggests news media emphasize the severity of effects and urgency to respond through creating a threatening image of climate change, which we do have the power to fight. The pervasive use of these two metaphors in both languages suggest a common understanding climate change.

A Deliberate Metaphorical Framing Analysis in Multimodal Cartoons -- By Analyzing Environmental Cartoons

Drawing on deliberate metaphor theory and framing theory, this study takes the environmental cartoons for case analysis and explore how deliberate metaphors construct in multimodal cartoons and how to convey social communicative meaning deliberately. The analysis founded three types of surface frames: HUMAN frame, MONSTER frame and DEATH frame. Deliberate metaphors attempt to invite readers to understand environmental cartoons from the frames in which the source domain is constructed. The cartoons embody the value of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature and advocate individuals to protect the environment.

Salvation, Enlightenment and Awakening in Shaping Followers' Perception and Understanding of Their Faith: A Linguistic Exploration

This paper examines how religious concepts of salvation, enlightenment, and awakening shape followers’ perception and understanding of their faith. Drawing on theories of language ideology (Woolard, 1998) and linguistic structuration (Giddens, 1979), it explores how linguistic and conceptual variations surrounding these key terms influence religious worldviews. A mixed methods approach integrates comparative-historical case studies, interviews, surveys, and textual analysis of three religious’ denominations. Findings reveal ideological divergences in the metaphorical framing of the key concepts, relating to differences in perceived resonances and definitions among followers. The study demonstrates that religious conceptual systems transmit between contexts via semiotic processes of indexicality and erasure, undergoing shifts in meaning. These ideological variations in turn contribute to divergent understandings of core principles across faith traditions. Ultimately, illuminating conceptual divergences and the symbolic processes by which they spread provides vital insight into religion’s cultural logic and diversity. The research contributes to theoretical models of religious language’s co-constitutive relationship with thought and experience. It offers an empirical approach employing cognitive linguistics and the sociology of religion to promote understanding across belief systems in an increasingly pluralistic world.

Public debate on bovine tuberculosis eradication: Topics and metaphors in the trans-Pyrenees region (Spain and France) 2018–2020

The management of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a controversial issue due to the different positions of stakeholders regarding diagnosis and treatment. Considering how they conceptualize bTB might influence the acceptability of eradication programmes, we analyse communication materials published by a range of sources in Spain and France, two countries dealing with this disease. We use content and discourse analyses to investigate topics associated with bTB and to detect metaphorical frames used for talking about it. We identify disease detection and control as a dominant issue bolstered by metaphors of battle and war and by images of farmers having to obey other stakeholders' orders. We argue instead in favour of a less warlike perspective in institutional and scientific communication, which also gives farmers more visibility in bTB management.

War on feminism: an analysis of metaphorical representations on Weibo

ABSTRACT Social media has become a critical medium for disseminating key feminist ideas; however, negative representations of feminism have been observed on Chinese platforms. Metaphor analysis offers valuable insights into public perceptions and attitudes towards social issues, highlighting the role of metaphors in influencing reasoning and decision-making. This study delves into metaphors related to feminism on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform akin to Twitter. By analyzing 206,089 Weibo posts about feminism using established metaphor identification methods, six metaphorical categories were identified: War, business, illness, animal, religion, and other metaphors, with war metaphors being the most prevalent. Many of these metaphors carry negative implications, typically portraying feminism as irrational, exploitative, and disruptive to societal norms and values, leading to calls for its suppression. This study contributes to existing literature by highlighting the metaphorical framing of feminism on social media and offering novel insights into its evaluation within the Chinese context.

Conflict and warfare metaphors in the Nigerian media conceptualization of corruption

ABSTRACT The incidence of corruption in Nigeria is monumental, widespread, pervasive and endemic. Studies on corruption in Nigeria have been approached from diverse perspectives including insights from social sciences and humanities. This study is based on the tenets of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). The CMT approach expresses the role of language, culture and cognition in the communication of human experiences. The underlying motivation for conceptualizing corruption as warfare is because it is pervasive, dangerous and destructive and can stifle national development. The Nigerian media have been at the forefront of reporting cases of public sector corruption and in doing so have deployed different metaphorical frames in conceptualizing the phenomenon. This study chiefly investigates the dominant use of conflict and war metaphors in the conceptualization and communication of corruption and anti-corruption discourses in the Nigerian media. Thus, this study uses insights from CMT to unearth and analyze some of the metaphorical schemes and categories that have been used by six Nigerian newspapers, namely; The Guardian, The Punch, Daily Trust, The Nation, Vanguard and Sun to represent corruption and anti-corruption rhetoric.

‘QUO VADIS, CORONA?’: METAPHORICAL FRAMING OF THE PANDEMIC IN DAILY PRESS

The paper deals with the ways Croatian and Serbian daily newspapers wrote about the Covid-19 pandemic at its outbreak in 2020. The aim of the paper was to identify and describe metaphors in the selected corpus of texts in order to determine the metaphorical framing used in newspapers. This corpus-based research of media discourse was based on a qualitative bottom-up analysis that started from lexical metaphors found in the texts. The results of this study suggest that a whole range of metaphorical mappings is used to frame the pandemic in the media in Croatian and Serbian. The results indicate that in both languages the same conventional metaphors were used. The pandemic was metaphorically conceptualized as an opponent, as some kind of disaster such as fire, or war. Different elements of the metaphorical mapping were made salient and foregrounded, depending on the text type. The obtained results are largely in line with previous research on using metaphors to describe the process of dealing with diseases.

A Look at What is Lost: Combining Bibliographic and Corpus Data to Study Clichés of Translation

Abstract This article presents the results of a corpus-assisted study focused on the expression lost in translation in a corpus of English-language online newspapers (NOW), and in two scholarly bibliographic databases (BITRA and SCOPUS). On the surface, the phrase may seem to indicate negative perceptions of translation practice. However, a study of several hundred occurrences of the cliché paints a more complex picture involving a variety of communicative practices and settings. Many occurrences of the phrase address, for instance, broader issues of cultural and interpersonal misunderstanding. In such cases, the perceived failure to establish a meaningful connection can often be ascribed to the absence of attempts at mediation or transmission, thus signalling recognition that the greatest losses occur not because of, but by lack of translation. In addition, the data indicate that lost in translation’s varied usage patterns can be understood in terms of two competing metaphorical frames, namely one of transportation and one of orientation: in translation, one can lose something, but one can just as well get lost. The implications of both metaphorical mappings are further addressed with reference to the issue of visibility, and to discussions about the proper scope of translation studies research.

Sports fanaticism as a disease: a Corpus-based study of metaphors in Saudi newspapers.

Sports fanaticism seems to be a social and national concern in Saudi Arabia. This paper aims: 1) to identify the metaphorical manifestations and highlight the discursive construction of disease as associated with sports fanaticism in a corpus of Saudi newspapers articles; and 2) to seek plausible explanations for the emergence and use of disease metaphors in newspapers articles addressing sports fanaticism. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Arabic Corpus (KACSTAC) served the data for the current study. The analytical procedures were informed by the discourse dynamics approach and metaphor-led discourse analysis. Findings show that sports fanaticism could be associated with the following systematic metaphors: 1) disease, in general; 2) disease causes; 3) disease symptoms; 4) disease evaluations; and 5) disease needs for medical solutions, interventions, treatments, and/or prescriptions. The discussion evokes a number of aspects: sports fanaticism emerges as a key topic; disease metaphors seem to be shaped and developed by the societal context and the nature of newspapers texts and discourse; they are enriched and influenced by the discourse situation and the needs to jointly construct and communicate intense experiences through specific evaluations and referential functions, which have a powerful resonance for the Saudi national and social levels; the use of disease metaphorical frames can structure our understanding and can simplify the concept of fanaticism.

A Framing Metaphorical Analysis of Chinas National Images --Based on the 2021 Economic News Reports on China of The Economist

National image is an important part of Chinas soft power. The Economist uses a large number of metaphorical frames that relate to all aspects of Chinas development. Through these metaphorical frames, The Economist endows reports with its concepts and attitudes towards China, and these metaphorical frames also influence readers in an invisible way. This thesis uses the theory of framing and conceptual metaphor to analyze about 110 economic reports on China in The Economist in 2021. Specifically, three kinds of framing metaphors are discussed. They are war metaphors, sport metaphors, and journey metaphors. By analyzing the national images constructed by metaphors in each frame, the thesis finds that the journal sees China as a rising power, with its rising international status, rapid economic growth, world-leading technology and active participation in global governance, which constructs a positive image of China as a developing and progressive country. However, due to the inherent ideological bias of the West, the report maliciously smears Chinas national image, especially in terms of regime and human power. In addition, it also believes that China restricts freedom of speech and its environmental pollution is serious. In conclusion, The Economist has constructed an overall negative national image of China, which has exerted profound international influence. In the context of profound changes in the international communication environment, the author hopes that this thesis can provide some enlightenment for improving Chinas international discourse power.

The Influence of Metaphorical Framing on Emotions and Reasoning About the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Metaphors can provide a conceptual framework for understanding complex topics and as such, they have frequently been used in COVID-19 discourse. As previous research indicates that conceptual metaphors can influence how people reason about complex topics, the metaphors used to communicate about the pandemic can influence how it is understood and how people respond. This paper investigates the influence of metaphorical framing on emotions and reasoning. An experimental study compares BATTLE and JOURNEY metaphor frames in a hypothetical text (adapted from previous studies) about the pandemic. Our aim is to examine the influence of these frames on readers’ affective state, inferences about the attitudes of others and suggestions to stop the virus from spreading. The results suggest that compared to JOURNEY metaphors, BATTLE metaphors can negatively influence affective state and may influence people to suggest more restrictive solutions to reduce the spread of the virus. Yet, metaphors were not found to influence reasoning about the attitudes of others. We interpret these results in relation to previous studies, suggesting that metaphors may influence emotions and reasoning in some ways only. The results have implications for public communication surrounding the pandemic. Limitations and avenues for future research are discussed.

Framing displaced persons : An analysis of Turkish media’s use of migration metaphors on Twitter

In recent years, social media has been recognized as instrumental in shaping the discourse around displaced persons, particularly through the power of metaphorical framing. Given that online communication can lead to real-world consequences for individuals, X (formerly known as Twitter) now stands out as a crucial platform for discussing migration issues in Turkey. However, while Twitter holds significant sway over public discourse in Turkey, there remains a research gap concerning its role in migration-related metaphorical framing. This study, employing critical metaphor analysis (CMA), delves into the metaphorical representations associated with the terms göçmen (‘migrant’), sığınmacı (‘asylum-seeker’), and mülteci (‘refugee’) in the tweets of four major Turkish media outlets: Hürriyet, Haber Türk, Sözcü, and Cumhuriyet. The findings reveal a predominant negative framing of all three terms, with göçmen and sığınmacı often equated with crime and mülteci with objectification. Also, the political inclination of the media outlets played a role, with those aligned closer to the Turkish government showcasing fewer negative frames. In conclusion, the study highlights the profound impact of media’s metaphorical framing, revealing its capacity to color public perceptions about displaced populations, a phenomenon accentuated by the specific terms chosen and the media’s political leanings.

Unmasking Metaphors of COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya’s Virtual Space: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

The outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019 led to the emergence of metaphorical framing. Life almost came to a standstill for more than two years. As a result, the entire world was engaged in combat with an elusive enemy widely seen as a warning sign. The study explored the metaphors employed in the fight against the virus in Kenya’s virtual space when it became a public health concern. Since this pandemic was the first in a century, people came up with new vocabulary and mental analogies to describe it. This study aimed to identify and describe the lexical items used in the Citizen TV Twitter handle, Kenya, to construct COVID-19 metaphors. The Conceptual Metaphor Theory by Lakoff and Johnson (1980/2003) was adopted in the study. The study utilized the descriptive qualitative research design. The data obtained from the Citizen TV Twitter handle, using Python code, was subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure developed by scholars at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (MIPVU). This criterion identifies the metaphorically used linguistic items. The identified metaphors were classified into their domain following source-target domain analysis. Based on the selected metaphors, the macro domains obtained were WAR, PATH, and ORGANISM. The study revealed that conceptual metaphor was extensively employed in Kenya. Metaphors were found to be widespread in discussions on COVID-19. People consistently associate certain aspects of reality with others, transferring the characteristics of one domain to another. They naturally and instinctively think in terms of metaphors. The abundance of metaphors in the discourse around COVID-19 may have been employed to motivate Kenyans to confront the challenges presented by the pandemic and show how COVID-19 was conceptualized in Kenya.