Hope and Despair: Representation of Europe and Africa in News Coverage of 'Migration Crisis'

Abstract

Media coverage of immigration has played an important role in the creation of national imaginary and identity. However, since immigration and asylum policies are increasingly shifting to supranational decision making in the European Union, the issue should also be analyzed from the perspective of Europeanization. What are the old and new ethnic and cultural identities and versions of community that are being constructed in news coverage of African “illegal migration” to Europe? What types of positions are offered for various social agents? This paper aims to make sense of the representations and identities that are being constructed in the Finnish news stories of African migration to Europe. The coverage of a Northernmost European newspaper of a Southernmost event offers an opportunity to analyze discourses of Europeanization and identity constructions of Europe and Africa. Previous research on news of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants stresses frame of illegality. However, a closer textual analysis shows the diversity in news journalism. Illegality is no doubt the most recurrent frame, but the migrants are also framed as victims and as heroes – particularly in reportages made in Africa where the migrants have names and social status compared to the routine news coverage where they are left as “non-persons”. Divisions are made firstly between “poor Africa” and “rich Europe”. Africa is presented dirty and diseased, and since Europe is imagined as the opposite, it is loaded with good qualities. However, Europe is not understood as one entity, but distinctions are made between the “organized” North and “inefficient” South.

Keywords: Africa, Europe, migrants, mediatized crisis, journalism, Finland, immigration, news