Abstract
The changing political and economic context in Europe has revived old and new questions that affect migrants and all those whose life is in any way organized on a transnational level. European governments frequently discuss the need to restore control at the border while considering the suspension of free movement "in case a state continuously risks not being able to block migrants outside the Schengen area". Assigning the status of" illegal" to those who cross the border has implications that go far beyond the acknowledgement that these people do not have the necessary documentation. It also boosts ideas about immigration as a threat and equates the assimilation of immigrants to crime and violence. Furthermore, it implicitly excludes people from social and political participation due to the excessive attention that is placed on national and cultural identity.
The media play an important role in this process. They can highlight ethnic and cultural differences, or they can promote images and values for a more inclusive society. As part of the "Migration Trajectories from Africa research, Illegality and Gender: a comparative analysis of Portugal and Italy", we have attempted to understand what were the images disseminated by the Portuguese press about people entering the country. This was possible through the analysis of a series of articles published in 2009 in two national newspapers - Correio da Manhã and Público. These two newspapers have different reporting styles: while the first falls on what is understood as a "popular" or "tabloid" newspaper, the latter is considered a "reference newspaper".
The media play an important role in this process. They can highlight ethnic and cultural differences, or they can promote images and values for a more inclusive society. As part of the "Migration Trajectories from Africa research, Illegality and Gender: a comparative analysis of Portugal and Italy", we have attempted to understand what were the images disseminated by the Portuguese press about people entering the country. This was possible through the analysis of a series of articles published in 2009 in two national newspapers - Correio da Manhã and Público. These two newspapers have different reporting styles: while the first falls on what is understood as a "popular" or "tabloid" newspaper, the latter is considered a "reference newspaper".
Translated title of the contribution | Migrants and Crime in the Portuguese Press |
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Original language | Italian |
Title of host publication | Vite (il)legali: migranti africani in Italia e in Portogallo |
Publisher | Firenze University Press |
Chapter | 6 |
Pages | 185-205 |
Number of pages | 20 |
ISBN (Print) | 9788889473467 |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Migrants
- Media
- Representations
- Crime