| dc.description.abstract | The print media functions as an important means of information communication in society in
that it brings global events into the homes of consumers on a daily basis where text and images
can be read and re-read at the user's leisure. In the specific instance of the ongoing refugee
crisis the reporting of the print media has become increasingly loaded and virulent, therefore,
this creates a heated political context, which this research contributes to.
This research conducted a rigorous grounded theory analysis over a four month period on the
media coverage of the refugee crisis from June-September 2015 from both the Scottish Daily
Mail and the Guardian, and uncovered 328 Guardian articles and 333 Daily Mail articles. This
process generated a set of conceptual categories: geopolitical and economic discourses, the
reactionary power of politics and the media and the language of fear. It was found that the
Guardian mainly focuses on the humanitarian elements of the crisis, while the Daily Mail tended
to take a differing stance, which places emphasis on increasing calls for securitisation. The
ideologies and historical context of these differing stances are at odds and the underlying
rationale appears to rest on political allegiance.
The language used in reporting is crucial in relaying information to readers and therefore the
distinction made between migrants and refugees is critical, as this has a direct effect on the
public appetite to support international assistance. This is owing to the structured reality that the
print media builds and develops through a series of narratives and representations; this not only
shapes, but constrains the public's understanding of the refugee crisis in such a way that
perceptions of the crisis are distorted. | |
