A multimodal analysis of COVID-19 metaphors on magazine and journal covers

Abstract

Magazine and journal covers became important sites for communicating the COVID-19 pandemic, conceptualizing complex scientific and social issues in accessible ways. This study examines metaphorical framings of the COVID-19 pandemic on magazine and journal covers published between 2020 and 2024, focusing on how metaphors are constructed through the interaction of visual and verbal modes. The analysis identifies WAR as the most frequent source domain, alongside less frequent domains such as BURDEN and CONTAINER. The results further indicate that metaphors are most frequently realized multimodally, with cover design playing a crucial role in structuring how images and cover lines interact to cue source and target domains. The study highlights the role of multimodality not merely in enhancing rhetorical impact, but also in shaping how metaphorical meaning is created and interpreted within a highly condensed communicative space.