Seventh International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Extensive attention has been devoted in recent years by the international media and scholars to refugee crisis in Europe. Despite the extensive literature on global media coverage of the refugee crisis in Europe, none has used mixed research. Using combined qualitative research and statistical test, analysing a sample of 60 articles (between 26.8 – 10.9, 2015), from UK, France and Germany – one week before and after the publication of the picture (26.8 – 10.9, 2015). This study examines news coverage of the refugee crisis during the photograph exposure of Alan Kurdi – the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned to death in the Mediterranean Sea-shore on his way to Europe. Based on an inductive thematic analysis, five main themes are in the centre of the analysis: (a) coverage’ views of the refugee crisis; (b) coverage’ views of the refugee; (c) EU policy on the refugee crisis; (d) coverage’ attitude towards refugees; (e) Reasons for the absorption or non-absorption of refugees. Via statistical analysis of the narrative frames the findings show that the image of Alan Kurdi played a central role of changing the news coverage narrative to supportive the absorbing the refugees but in different context in different country. We conclude that before Kurdi’s photograph publication, the media’s framing and public opinion towards refugees and its crisis were controversial; Sometimes, refugees denoted uncovered immigrants, but after its publication, media’s framing changed to a more humanitarian view.