War and its metaphors: news language and the prelude to war in Iraq, 2003

Abstract

Metaphors can kill, said George Lakoff in response to official justifications for US‐led wars in the Persian Gulf. This article studies metaphor in news coverage of the prelude to the 2003 war with Iraq. The article outlines a methodology for the study of metaphor and applies the method to six weeks of coverage by NBC Nightly News, the top‐rated US evening newscast. Predominant metaphors in NBC coverage are then identified, including: the Timetable; the Games of Saddam; the Patience of the White House, and Making the Case/Selling the Plan. The article then examines implications of those metaphors, and finally, considers the role of metaphor and news language in the conception and construction of war.

Keywords:

• Metaphor
• War Reporting
• News Language
• International News
• Gulf War

Notes

According to Nielsen Media Research, in early 2003, NBC Nightly News posted an average 8.3 rating and 15 share, averaging 11.7 million viewers nightly. ABC followed with 7.5/14 and CBS trailed with 6.3/11.

In more difficult language, Ricoeur (1981) says, “a word receives a metaphorical meaning in specific contexts, within which it is opposed to other words taken literally” (p. 170).

The citation for the newscast: Brokaw, T. (Host) (2003) “Countries Continue to Debate Iraq, Slowing Down Timetable for War”, NBC Nightly News, 18 February, New York: National Broadcasting Company. Rather than provide citations for each news story quoted, filling the reference list with nearly 100 additional items, I will reference the day and story in the manuscript.

In American culture, the countdown is often associated with space rocket and shuttle launches. The aerospace dimension complements the newscast's militaristic use of the countdown metaphor.

It is of interest to note that NBC anchor Tom Brokaw spent a week in February reporting from Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. His presence overseas added to the impression of the newscast that war was in the offing.

The thought echoes a long‐ago passage from James Carey (1974) on journalism and criticism. Press criticism, Carey wrote, “is essentially the criticism of language: it is a vital response on the part of the public to the language the press uses to describe events and to the events that accepted standards of journalistic language allow to be described” (p. 244).