Ideology in Political Campaigns: Explicating the Digital-Analogue Metaphor Used in the 2013 Election Campaigns by the Jubilee Coalition in Kenya

Abstract

The digital-analogue metaphor in the 2013 elections was a way of explaining the different ideologies between Jubilee and CORD coalition as the two major competing parties. The study set out to demonstrate the ideological import of the digital-analogue metaphorical catch-phrase by the Jubilee Coalition of political parties. This paper maps out the conceptual bearings of the digital-analogue metaphor. The study sidestepped other metaphors used at the election time and located itself within a time-frame of between 24th December 2012 and 1st March 2013. Lakoff’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory was the guiding principle to the study since it hoists metaphor above its linguistic value to consider the conceptual property on which the study was founded. The study adopted an interpretative research design targeting all the telecast campaigns coverage between 24th December 2012 and 1st March 2013. This period stipulated for the video data fitted the study in the sense that the Jubilee Coalition of political parties was inaugurated on the said date in December 2012 and the 1st of March 2013 marked the end of campaigns. The sample was purposively sampled in terms of specific relevance to the objectives of the study. The study made use of video method of data collection as well as FGDs. The video clips used in the study were sought from the mainstream TV channels, namely Citizen, Kenya Television Network and Nation Television. The clips were transcribed and then interpreted for their conceptual relevance to the digital-analogue metaphor. The research findings showed how the metaphor harboured conceptual ideologies that characterized the Jubilee campaigns of the 2013 polls. The results provide opportunities to scholars and the society in general to understand how metaphors can transmit ideologies which shape the socio-political attitudes of the public. Key Words: Political Communication, Conceptual Bearing, Digital-Analogue Metaphor