Perception and representation of newcomers and immigrants The topic of migration has become particularly contentious in national and international debates. Media have a discernable impact on overall societal attitudes towards this phenomenon. Polls show time and again that immigration is one of the most important issues occupying people’s minds. This book examines the dynamic interplay between media representations of migrants and refugees on the one hand and the governmental and societal (re)actions to these on the other. Largely focusing on Belgium and Sweden, this collection of interdisciplinary research essays attempts to unravel the determinants of people’s preferences regarding migration policy, expectations towards newcomers, and economic, humanitarian and cultural concerns about immigration’s effect on the majority population’s life. Whilst migrants and refugees remain voiceless and highly underrepresented in the legacy media, this volume allows their voices to be heard. Contributors: Leen d’Haenens (KU Leuven), Willem Joris (KU Leuven), Paul Puschmann (KU Leuven/Radboud University Nijmegen), Ebba Sundin (Halmstad University), David De Coninck (KU Leuven), Rozane De Cock (KU Leuven), Valériane Mistiaen (Université libre de Bruxelles), Lutgard Lams (KU Leuven), Stefan Mertens (KU Leuven), Olivier Standaert (UC Louvain), Hanne Vandenberghe (KU Leuven), Koen Matthijs (KU Leuven), Kevin Smets (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Jacinthe Mazzocchetti (UC Louvain), Lorraine Gerstmans (UC Louvain), Lien Mostmans (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), and François Heinderyckx (Université libre de Bruxelles) Ebook available in Open Access. This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content). With thanks to the funding provided by Belspo (Belgian Science Policy Office), as part of the framework programme BRAIN-be (Belgian Research Action Through Interdisciplinary Networks), contract nr BR/165/A4/IM2MEDIATE.

Media have played an important role in framing the public debate on the “refugee crisis” that peaked in autumn of 2015. This report examines the narratives developed by print media in eight European countries and how they contributed to the public perception of the “crisis”, shifting from careful tolerance over the summer, to an outpouring of solidarity and humanitarianism in September 2015, and to a securitisation of the debate and a narrative of fear in November 2015. Overall, there has been limited opportunity in mainstream media coverage for refugees and migrants to give their views on events, and little attention paid to the individuals’ plight or the global and historical context of their displacement. Refugees and migrants are often portrayed as an undistinguishable group of anonymous and unskilled outsiders who are either vulnerable or dangerous. The dissemination of biased or ill-founded information contributes to perpetuating stereotypes and creating an unfavourable environment not only for the reception of refugees but also for the longer-term perspectives of societal integration.

The large-scale movements of refugees and economic migrants from conflict zones to more stable societies have resulted in challenges, both for new entrants and their hosts. This fascinating volume brings together a collection of media analyses focused on immigration issues to examine how migration has been represented to the public. Case studies exploring media coverage of migrants and refugees in Europe enable the reader to better understand the complexity of the process through a range of unique and unexplored dimensions of immigration analysis, including strategic framing theory, game structure analysis, migration maps and routes, television narratives, rumour-based communication, and state-bred campaigns. The insights into the perspective of migrants, the general public and policy makers provide innovative methodological and theoretical analysis on population movements which will be of interest to scholars, students, and policy makers working in the fields of migration studies, international relations, peace and security studies, and social and public policy.

Migration reporting and the discursive construction of crisis. Lilie Chouliaraki: Between pity and irony: paradigms of refugee representation in humanitarian discourse -- Harald Bauder: immigration dialectic in the media and crisis as transformative moment -- Bernhard Gross: controlled conditions-an analysis of the positioning of migration during the prime ministerial debates for the 2010 UK general election -- Kerry Moore: "Asylum crisis", national security and the re-articulation of human rights -- Crisis reporting and the representation of migration. Otto Santa Ana: US crisis reporting on mass protests and the depiction of immigrants in the 40 years after the Kerner Commission Report -- Carol Farbotko: Skilful seafarers, oceanic drifters or climate refugees? Pacific people, news value and the climate refugee crisis -- Yan Wu, Xiangqin Zeng, Xiaoying Liu: Chinese irregular migration into Europe: economic challenges and opportunities in media representation -- Jelena Bjelica: Human trafficking and national security in Serbia -- Xinyi Jiang: Fujianese migration and the British press coverage of Dover incident -- The management of migration in journalistic practice. Bolette Blaagaard: The (multi)cultural obligation of journalism -- Julia Bayer: Beyond culture-awareness training for journalists and their potential for the promotion of media diversity -- Janet Harris: reporting migration-a journalist's reflection on personal experience and academic critique -- Introduction to migrations and the media -- Kerry Moore: What's in a crisis?

“The main function of traditional media is to provide timely information to the public, but today, traditional media cannot fulfill these expectations with regard to the fluid nature of global migration. New digital media technologies such social media have arisen to fill the void, narrating the lives of migrants in artistic terms that bear the traces of the major social issues of migration. In this critical anthology, contributors examine the intersection of migration, art, and media studies in order to critically analyse the impact of their confluence upon migrant and receiving communities.” Vildan Mahmutoğlu is Associate Professor at Galatasaray University, Istanbul. Her research interests include migration, local cultures, gender, and minorities. Her published book chapters include “A Glimmer of Hope for Mass Media in a Liberal democracy: istanbulrumazinligi.com” and “Global media Entertainment: star search.” Her current research is about gender in diaspora. John Morán González is the J. Frank Dobie Regents Professor of American and English Literature at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is also Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies. He is author of two monographs and the edit or or c o-editor of thr ee anthologies.” Contents Introduction Vildan Mahmutoğlu and John Moran Gonzalez CHAPTER 1. Representation of Asylum seekers in Science Fiction films: Prawns in District 9 Vildan Mahmutoğlu CHAPTER 2. Border Imagery and Refugee Abjection in Contemporary Visual Art Balca Arda CHAPTER 3. Manifestations of Transfer in the Latest Post-Yugoslav Playwriting and Theatre: Migration, Cultural Mobility and Transculturality Gabriela Abrasowicz CHAPTER 4. Migrants, Identity, and Body Modification in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Media Eric Trinka CHAPTER 5. ‘The new diaspora’ and interactive media campaigns: The case of Romanians migrating to the UK after Brexit Bianca Florentina Cheregi CHAPTER 6. Social Media and ICT Use by refugees, Immigrants and NGOs: A Literature Overview Bilgen Türkay CHAPTER 7. Reproduction of Desire: Overuse of Social Media Among Syrian Refugees and Its Effects on The Future Imagination Barış Öktem

Digital media have radically altered understandings of racism, so that an issue that has too often been assumed to belong to the past has been thrust into contemporary mainstream debates, news and popular culture. In light of the importance of traditional communications and social media to such events as Brexit in the UK and the Trump Presidency in the US, it is imperative for students of media and public discourse to examine the role played by the media in the generation, circulation and contestation of racist ideas. In Racism and Media, Gavan Titley: Explains why racism is such a complex and contested concept Provides a set of theoretical and analytical tools with which to interrogate how media dynamics and processes impact on racism and anti-racism Demonstrates methods’ application through a wide range of case studies, taking in examples from the UK, US, and several European countries Examines the rise and impact of online and social media racism Analyses questions of freedom of speech and hate speech in relation to racism and media This book is an essential companion for students of media, communications, sociology and cultural studies.