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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.
Jack Lule (Sat,) studied this question.