Conflict & Communication Online (Oct 2010)

Oughts and ideals: Framing people with migration background in TV news

  • Denise Sommer,
  • Georg Ruhrmann

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 2
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Based on the framing concept the paper explores the context and structure of TV news coverage about minority groups. A sample of 285 TV news reports on people with migration background in Germany is analyzed for its implicit plot structures and particular political goal expressions. Cluster analysis reveals four news frames: Crime, Migration Policy, Cultural Proximity, and Terrorism Risk, indicating that the public image of people with migration background in Germany remains negative and implicitly biased. This becomes evident by the large amount of risk communication about potential terrorist attacks and the prevailing expression of absolute goals compared to gradual ones. Theoretically and methodically, integrating the framing concept and specific types of goals promises deeper insight into the current discourse on integration issues.