Back in March Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords made a statement responding to Sarah Palin’s anti-healthcare reform campaign, saying, “we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list. But the thing is the way that she has it depicted has the cross hairs of a gun site over our district.” Could metaphors in that statement have had an effect on who Jared Loughner targeted in Arizona over the weekend?
Our guest James Geary, a journalist and author of the upcoming book, “I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World,” says that metaphors in political rhetoric and imagery have a profound and largely non-conscious effect on us.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!