2018/07/03 by Jakob‐Moritz Eberl, Christine E. Meltzer, Tobias Heidenreich +7 · 1 voice · 16 citations
Social Sciences · #Media Studies and Communication #Migration, Refugees, and Integration #Populism, Right-Wing Movements
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/23808985.2018.1497452
openalex publication_date 2018/07/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
To understand public opinion about immigration in Europe, one has to understand the media’s role in it. We present a literature review on research on media discourse on immigration and their effects. Despite differences in the way immigration and migrant groups are represented in European media, we can observe common patterns. Migrants are generally under-represented and shown as delinquents or criminals. Although, media framing differs based on specific migrant groups the discourse is focusing on, immigration coverage is often negative and conflict-centred. Frequent exposure to such media messages leads to negative attitudes towards migration, may activate stereotypical cognitions of migrant groups, and even influence vote choice. In addition to discussing these issues in depth, the present review also focuses on comparative findings.