On the role of metaphors in COVID-related political communication: an examination of Jacinda Ardern’s metaphorical language in managing the health crisis

Abstract In comparison to many other countries across the world, New Zealand stands out as a positive example of successfully dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic during its first outbreak. A pivotal role in this has been attributed to Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, who has been praised for her effective communication throughout the crisis and her capacity to connect empathetically to the people. The present study explores Ardern’s crisis discourse by focusing on her use of metaphors to talk about COVID-19, its transmission, and the measures adopted by the New Zealand government to contain its spread. This analysis, which adopts the framework of Critical Metaphor Theory, aims at disclosing which metaphors were used by Jacinda Ardern and whether there is anything exceptional in these metaphors and their usage that could relate to Ardern’s successful management of the health crisis in its initial phase. The data consists of eight post-Cabinet press conferences given by Ardern from the beginning of the outbreak at the end of February 2020 to the day when she declared that community transmission was over (27 April 2020).