Computer-aided Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors in English News Report

Abstract

Metaphor has been observed to be a widespread method of communication in international news coverage. However, there haven’t been many studies on metaphors in English news reporting, let alone ones that used computer-assisted tools. The study uses computer-assisted tools to analyze and interpret the types of metaphors and their structural models present in 12 news reports about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) published in The New York Times. The findings of the research aim to present the Chinese national image depicted in the mainstream western media and reveal the underlying values and attitudes contained in the news reports on BRI.