Metaphor and proximization as vehicles of discursive disinformation: Insights from anti-migration discourse

Disinformation discourse consists in the deliberate practice of disseminating false information with the intention to deceive. Originating from random fake news spread online, it involves issues of broad public interest and importance, from healthcare to environment to war. Communicated by organized groups such as populist political parties, disinformation discourse is difficult to counter, as it draws upon the current construction of societies, their anxieties, fears, and distrust in officially circulated information. This article demonstrates that disinformation discourse relies typically on threat-building and fear generation, which involve the activation of general cognitive schemata such as metaphor and proximization. Metaphor and proximization trigger bipolar conceptualizations that serve to enact virtual US vs. THEM distinctions and make credible and appealing the essentially artificial political differences, divisions and potential antagonisms. The empirical part of the article explores the discourse of Confederation, a nationalist, radical-right political party in Poland, whose popularity has been on the rise in the past year. It shows how metaphor and proximization are exploited for disinformation effects, serving the party’s home as well as international goals, such as the suspension of Poland’s support for the war-torn state of Ukraine.