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What Drives Victimization Viewpoints in the News? The Impact of News Organisations’ Characteristics, News Voices, and the Context on the Representation of Immigrants as Victims

Sat, May 27, 17:00 to 18:15, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 4 (Sapphire), Exhibit Hall - Rear

Abstract

Viewpoints that are used in the news to convey the idea that immigrants are victims might trigger public compassion and shape public opinion on immigration. Hence, it is crucial to analyse the factors that drive the mediated representation of migrants as victims. We use a comparative content analysis of newspaper articles on immigration in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom (2013-2014) to investigate how news organisations’ characteristics, news voices and real-world contextual factors might determine variations in the use of victimization viewpoints. The results of a multilevel model show that the political orientation of a newspaper, the presence of certain social actors and key events related to immigration can influence the amount of viewpoints portraying immigrants as victims in the news.

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