Words to convince you: the persuasive use of metaphor in the press

Abstract

This essay pretends to demonstrate that the conceptual metaphor is a resource that contains and conveys messages with an evaluative charge, not only at daily life but also in the media, which influences the process of communicating opinions, stances and ideologies. Metaphors are an important tool for transmitting the speaker valorative judgments in order to achieve the persuasive function of language. To demonstrate the previous points, the digital article, “Súper Bigote, el héroe que resuelve los problemas de Venezuela y se inspira en Nicolás Maduro” published in the news portal Al Navío, has been selected. The present analysis follows the conceptual metaphor theory of Lakoff and Johnson, along with the appraisal theory of Martin and White.