Images of Immigrants and Refugees in Western Europe

Media Representations, Public Opinion and Refugees’ Experiences

Edited by Leen d’Haenens, Willem Joris, and François Heinderyckx

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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.


Chapter 1. Images of Immigrants and Refugees in Western Europe : Media Representations, Public Opinion, and Refugees’ Experiences 
Leen d’Haenens and Willem Joris

Part I – Policy on migration and integration in Europe

Chapter 2. Migration and integration policy in Europe: Comparing Belgium and Sweden 
Paul Puschmann, Ebba Sundin, David De Coninck, and Leen d’Haenens

Part II – Media representations

Chapter 3. The Refugee Situation as Portrayed in News Media : A Content Analysis of Belgian and Swedish Newspapers – 2015-2017 
Rozane De Cock, Ebba Sundin, and Valériane Mistiaen

Chapter 4. Depiction of Immigration in Television News : Public and Commercial Broadcasters – a Comparison 
Valériane Mistiaen

Chapter 5. Agency and Power in the Dutch-Language News Coverage of the Summer 2015 Refugee Situation in Europe: A Transitivity Analysis of Semantic Roles 
Lutgard Lams

Chapter 6. A Diverse View on the Promotion of Tolerance and Cultural Diversity through the Eyes of Journalists: Focus on Belgium and Sweden 
Stefan Mertens, Leen d’Haenens, Rozane De Cock, and Olivier Standaert

Part III – Public opinion

Chapter 7. Discordance between Public Opinion and News Media Representations of Immigrants and Refugees in Belgium and Sweden 
David De Coninck, Hanne Vandenberghe, and Koen Matthijs

Chapter 8. Online News Consumption and Public Sentiment toward Refugees : Is there a Filter Bubble at Play? Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden: A Comparison 
Stefan Mertens, Leen d’Haenens, and Rozane De Cock

Chapter 9. The Effects of Dominant versus Peripheral News Frames on Attitudes toward Refugees and News Story Credibility 
Willem Joris and Rozane De Cock

Part IV – Refugees’ experiences

Chapter 10. Beyond Victimhood : Reflecting on Migrant-Victim Representations with Afghan, Iraqi, and Syrian Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Belgium 
Kevin Smets, Jacinthe Mazzocchetti, Lorraine Gerstmans, and Lien Mostmans

Conclusion
François Heinderyckx

List of authors 

Format: Edited volume - paperback

Size: 234 × 156 × 12 mm

208 pages

ISBN: 9789462701809

Publication: May 14, 2019

Languages: English

Stock item number: 128589

François Heinderyckx is professor at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Translation and Communication. His research experience is deeply rooted in news media across cultures.
Leen d’Haenens is full professor in communication science at the Institute for Media Studies at KU Leuven.
Willem Joris is postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Media Studies at the KU Leuven, and guest professor in Communication Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
The key contribution of the collection is in problematising the connections between negative terminology and negative framing, confirming the importance of contact with migrants and refugees for public opinion and, most importantly, relating all of this to the voices of migrants and refugees themselves. In other words, the book’s contribution is in connecting normative with evidence-based claims that voice matters and that media have an important role to play in facilitating, framing and circulating these varied voices.
Tijana Stolic, European Journal of Communication 34(6), December 2019