MIGRANTS IN THE MEDIA – ANALYSIS OF READERS’ COMMENTS
MIGRANTS IN THE MEDIA – ANALYSIS OF READERS’ COMMENTS

Summary/Abstract: Encountering migration has deeply influenced how migrants are perceived, experienced, and the emotions they evoke. The purpose of this study is to investigate readers' attitudes and beliefs regarding migrants through an analysis of their comments to media texts about the migration issue on the Politika and Kurir websites. The choice of the analysis period, which spans two years, 2015 and 2017, was made with the aim of spotting any shifts in media users' beliefs and attitudes. Readers’ comments were analyzed based on the following categories: topic, identification of migrants, attitude towards migrants, way of referring to migrants, aggregation, and collectivization. The research results indicate that readers perceive migrants as a threat (62.72% of the 2,850 comments), although a negative attitude towards them was identified in 32.28% of the content. The public agenda now primarily focuses on Serbia's reception and care for migrants and refugees as a reaction to the migration issue. The biggest threat is economic in nature, and the reaction to the impending danger was to instill a significant deal of racism, xenophobia, and rejection. Through the references they cite to define and characterize migrants, readers convey their antagonism toward them. This vast group's members are seen and felt as the “Others” (foreigners, newcomers, arrivals). They come from a different world and culture, and this perception is supported by readers' doubts about the reasons behind migration, which demonstrates their distrust and fear of newcomers.

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