What's a metaphor?

To get these news outlets to run decent coverage about solutions to our BIGGEST GRAVEST PROBLEM SINCE THE WORLD WARS, they have to be paid?

Last week one of Wellington’s lobbyist grandees posted a forlorn photo of a shuttered Wishbone store pointing out its location at the very beating heart of Wellington’s public service and offering it as some emblematic metaphor for Everything Going Wrong.

If I were picking an Emblematic Metaphor I’d be leaning more to cities going up in flames or houses …