Silenced Voices at the Border: How Croatian Online Media Reported on the Ukrainian Refugees
Silenced Voices at the Border: How Croatian Online Media Reported on the Ukrainian Refugees

Summary/Abstract: This study examines how leading Croatian online news outlets reported on Ukrainian refugees during the first month of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By conducting a quantitative content analysis of 491 articles, this paper contributes to the existing body of research on depictions of refugees (Dobrić Basaneže & Ostojić, 2021; Matulić & Škokić, 2024), with a particular focus on the national media context. Findings confirm prior research (Čepo et al., 2020; Popović et al., 2022) suggesting that refugees are often marginalised as sources. Official government and political sources dominate media coverage, reinforcing a top-down narrative of refugee issues. Moreover, the study also shows that the analysed news outlets focused on refugees as victims fleeing occupied territories, as well as narratives of integration, resettlement, and gratitude. Additional findings revealed heavy reliance on agency reporting, raising questions about diversity in Croatian online journalism. This observation suggests a potential avenue for future research on content production strategies in the digital news environment.

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