The irony in the case of The giant hamburgers, Spain, 2006

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the use of irony as a rhetorical device and its linguistic forms in journalistic discourse on the biopolitical controversies concerning health. The case study, a news item appearing in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on 16^th November 2006, deals with the controversy arising between the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and the Burger King Company over "giant hamburgers". The reason behind using an ironic strategy in this journalistic controversy is to reject the opponent's position by partially accepting one of their irrefutable arguments, but understating its importance and seriousness by employing ridicule.