The research report can be accessed here

Media Discourse about Immigration in Comparative Perspective
Mainstream newspapers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain
Research Report
December 2014
Cluj-Napoca
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Mulțumiri
Autorii acestui raport doresc să mulțumească colegilor care au ajutat la codarea unora dintre
articolele care se afla la baza acestui raport, în special colegei noastre, Dr. Adela Fofiu.
Membrii echipei de cercetare
Levente Zakarias Salat
Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai
Monica Andriescu
Universitatea Humboldt Berlin
Sergiu Gherghina
Universitatea Goethe Frankfurt
George Jiglău
Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai
Istvan Szekely
Universitatea Central Europeană Budapesta
Adriana Popescu-Țiganea
Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai
Finanțare
Colectarea si codarea articolelor de ziar au fost realizate în cadrul proiectului PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-30394, finanțat de Consiliul Național al Cercetării Științifice.
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Contents
List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................................4
List of Figures......................................................................................................................................................5
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................7
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...............................................................................................................................8
OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................................................................10
RESEARCH DESIGN............................................................................................................................................11
FINDINGS ..........................................................................................................................................................15
National and local editions...........................................................................................................................15
Overview of the topics approached by the 6 newspapers...........................................................................15
Length of article and topic............................................................................................................................25
Frequencies type of article (news report or opinion) ..................................................................................35
Distinctions between Romanians and Roma from Romania........................................................................40
The profile of Romanian migrants................................................................................................................47
Integration problems....................................................................................................................................56
Solutions to integration problems................................................................................................................58
Romanians and other migrants ....................................................................................................................72
CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................76
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List of Tables
Table 1 - Sample of newspaper articles in France, Italy and Spain (2010-2012)..............................................12
Table 2 - Relevant articles from total sample in France, Italy and Spain (2010-2012).....................................15
Table 3 - Integration problems and dimensions - France.................................................................................56
Table 4 - Integration problems and dimensions – Italy, Corriere della Sera....................................................57
Table 5 - Integration problems and dimensions – Italy, La Repubblica............................................................57
Table 6 - Integration problems and dimensions – Spain, El Pais......................................................................57
Table 7 - Integration problems and dimensions – Spain, El Mundo.................................................................58
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List of Figures
Figure 1 - Common topics about migration from Romania – France, Le Figaro, National edition ..................16
Figure 2 - Common topics about migration from Romania – France, Le Monde, National edition.................17
Figure 3 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition .......18
Figure 4 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition ............19
Figure 5 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition...............20
Figure 6 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition ....................21
Figure 7 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Mundo................................................23
Figure 8 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Pais.....................................................24
Figure 9 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Mundo, local edition..........................25
Figure 10 - Length of article and topic – France, Le Figaro, National edition...................................................26
Figure 11 - Length of article and topic – France, Le Monde, National edition.................................................27
Figure 12 - Length of article and topic – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition .......................................28
Figure 13 - Length of article and topic – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition ............................................29
Figure 14 - Length of article and topic – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition...............................................30
Figure 15 - Length of article and topic – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition ....................................................31
Figure 16 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Mundo, National edition....................................................32
Figure 17 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition .........................................................33
Figure 18 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Pais, Local edition ..............................................................34
Figure 19 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – France, Le Figaro, National edition............................35
Figure 20 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – France, Le Monde, National edition ..........................36
Figure 21 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition ................36
Figure 22 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition......................37
Figure 23 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition........................37
Figure 24 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition..............................38
Figure 25 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Mundo, National edition .............................39
Figure 26 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Pais, Local edition........................................39
Figure 27 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition ..................................40
Figure 28 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – France, Le Figaro, National edition.......................41
Figure 29 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – France, Le Monde, National edition.....................42
Figure 30 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition ...........43
Figure 31 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition.................43
Figure 32 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition...................44
Figure 33 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition ........................45
Figure 34 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Mundo, National edition........................46
Figure 35 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition .............................46
Figure 36 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Pais, Local edition ..................................47
Figure 37 - The profile of Romanian migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition.......................................48
Figure 38 - The profile of Romanian migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition .....................................49
Figure 39 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition ...........................50
Figure 40 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition.................................51
Figure 41 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition...................................52
Figure 42 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition ........................................52
Figure 43 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Mundo, National edition........................................53
Figure 44 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition .............................................54
Figure 45 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Pais, Local edition...................................................55
Figure 46 - Solutions to integration challenges – France, Le Figaro, National edition....................................59
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Figure 47 - Solutions to integration challenges – France, Le Monde, National edition ...................................59
Figure 48 - Solutions to integration challenges – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition .........................60
Figure 49 - Solutions to integration challenges – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition.................................61
Figure 50 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – France, Le Figaro, National edition................................................62
Figure 51 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – France, Le Monde, National edition ..............................................62
Figure 52 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition ....................................63
Figure 53 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition..........................................63
Figure 54 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition............................................64
Figure 55 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition .................................................64
Figure 56 - Exploitation of migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition ......................................................65
Figure 57 - Exploitation of migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition ....................................................66
Figure 58 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition...........................................66
Figure 59 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition ................................................67
Figure 60 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition ..................................................67
Figure 61 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition........................................................68
Figure 62 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Mundo, National edition..................69
Figure 63 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition .......................69
Figure 64 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Pais, Local edition.............................70
Figure 65 - Exploitation of migrants – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition.............................................................71
Figure 66 - Exploitation of migrants – Spain, El Pais, Local edition..................................................................71
Figure 67 - Romanians and other migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition...........................................72
Figure 68 - Romanians and other migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition .........................................73
Figure 69 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition ...............................73
Figure 70 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition.....................................74
Figure 71 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition .......................................74
Figure 72 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition.............................................75
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INTRODUCTION
Multicultural policies have been subject to significant criticism during the past several years due to
their perceived failure to integrate immigrants (Ersanili & Koopmans 2010). One approach to
redressing the perceived imbalances for social cohesion has been the recent emphasis on civic
integration. Such policies, which enforce “country knowledge, language proficiency and liberal and
social values” (Wallace Goodman 2010: 754), have been adopted not only in the countries that
had officially promoted multiculturalist policies (e.g. the United Kingdom or the Netherlands), but
also in historically more restrictive (Germany) or assimilationist countries (France). Moreover,
some argue civic integration (as a broad strategy of inclusion), as a rather vaguely define inclusion
strategy, has been minimizing the established difference between formerly existing “national
models” of integration, pointing to convergence (Joppke 2007).
On this background of a “retreat of multiculturalism” (Joppke 2004) and a series of terrorist
attacks in Europe (most notably in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005), the migration landscape in
the European Union has been changing. While previously migration in Europe was characterized
by labour migration from non-EU countries, asylum seekers and family reunion, after the year
2000, the freedom of movement of workers from the new EU Member States has contributed in
various ways to a change in migration flows, perceived or real integration problems and a shifting
political agenda. The migration literature reflects this bias towards non-EU nationals, leaving the
more recent challenges, particularities and puzzles associated with the more recent intra-EU
labour migration essentially untapped. The increasing public salience of Eastern European
migration in many so-called “old” EU countries during the past few years warrants an in-depth
analysis of the dynamics of this phenomenon. A variety of actors, preferences and interactions
occur to shape the integration of the recent Eastern European migrants in the labour markets of
their countries of destination. One of the dimensions which previous research has identified as
relevant for the attitudes that natives have towards migrants is public discourse. The discourse
promoted by political parties and the image of migration that the media reflects have been
identified as key determinants of individual-level attitudes towards immigration, migrants’ role in
the respective societies and the socio-economic effects of increasing migration (Bacchi 2008).
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The public discourse about multiculturalism and its failure (targeting Europe’s Muslim immigrants
more than any other group) and the political salience of intra-EU migration from East to West
constitute the background of the present research. Both discourses - overlapping to a certain
extent in contesting further immigration and emphasizing the integration challenges of the
migrants who are already in the country - has been accompanied in various countries by restrictive
immigration policy reforms and transitional labour market requirements for some of the nationals
from Eastern EU countries (e.g. Romania and Bulgaria).
While political and media towards Muslim or generally third country nationals have received
attention in the academic literature, intra-EU migration continues to be under-explored despite its
increasing relevance. This research project has identified this gap. In particular, this report
identifies and analyzes the media framing of Eastern European migrants (specifically Romanian
nationals) in six national-level mainstream newspapers from three countries: France (Le Figaro, Le
Monde), Spain (El Pais, El Mundo), and Italy (La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera). The editions of the
German newspapers Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung for the 2010-2012
period were not available and could therefore not be used for the current report.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Research situated within the discourse analytical approach have described and explained how
majority group domination is reinforced and how images of “the other” are constructed (van Djik
1993: 92-93). Discourse has been “the object of research when it is seen to express, signal,
confirm, describe, legitimate, or enact ethnic dominance” (van Djik 1993: 94) as a factor that
explains how the power of majority over minorities is constructed, and how inequality between
various ethnic groups is shaped. Discourse analysis, in this sense, seeks to deconstruct text, but
also to explain its mechanisms in a social, historical, cognitive context and the practices attached
to it, which are used to justify certain actions (van Djik 1993: 96, 109-116).
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Since “inclusion does not occur in a vacuum” (Giugni & Morales 2011: 270), the media is one of
the key actors that sets the context of immigration and integration policies and political discourse,
as well as influencing the direction taken by public opinion. Along with political elites, the media
are agenda-setters (van Dijk 1987: 391). This important role originates from “their relation to
other elite institutions and because of their structural influence in shaping and changing the social
mind” (van Dijk 1993: 243). As previous research shows, news on immigrant groups often focus on
negative aspects, such as illegal handlings, crimes, fraud or violence (van Dijk 1993: 248). Two
general types of negative discourse on ethnic difference have been identified: one is encountered
in direct intercultural communication with members of minorities (immigrants, historical
minorities etc.) and includes discriminatory or insulting references; the second consists of written
or spoken productions about minorities which can be encountered in parliamentary debates, TV
and newspapers, and a variety of other publications (van Djik 2004: 351-352).
Regarding the second type of discourse – the focus of this research - the literature reveals several
main topics of discourse about immigrants: they possess less positive attributes than the natives
(e.g. they are more backward, less educated etc.); they are unwilling to integrate and adapt to the
requirements imposed by the new society (among others, arguments concerning inability or
unwillingness to speak the language, the preservation of traditional dress-codes or customs); they
threaten the stability of the host society and employment patterns (allegedly because they come
in large numbers and disturb pre-existing social patterns) (van Djik 2004: 352-354).
Frames were initially defined as a “system of entities, postulates, and rules” (Goffman 1974) and
have been used as tools to study policies (Hajer-Wagenaar 2003) or media reporting (Gitlin 1980;
Entman 1993). It has been argued that news items are a vehicle that circulates already-existing
frames (Cheng et al. 2010: 3). Media frames are created through word selection and emphases
that are capable of constructing a certain image (Igartua & Cheng 2009: 728) that may suggest the
perspective as the only valid one (Cheng et al. 2010: 3). The “essence of the issue” is thus induced
(Gamson & Modigliani 1987: 143). These frames are important because they influence cognitive
reactions (de Vreese 2004; Valkenburg, Semetko & de Vreese 1999) as well as attitudes (Nelson &
Oxley 1999) of the target audience.
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There is a wide variety of immigrant groups in Western countries not only in terms of formal stateascribed categories (citizens, residents, asylum-seekers, temporary labour migrants, illegal
migrants etc.) but also of cultural, socio-economic and educational background. This should mean
that there is also a variety of integration challenges. Are there also differences between how
media discourse addresses them? The dominant frames concerning the integration of ‘old’ non-EU
immigrants in various Western European countries captured religious differences, segregation,
dissatisfaction with high unemployment rates and more recently threats to state security.
The evolution of national immigration and integration regimes can be analyzed by monitoring the
variation of laws, regulations and requirements of entry and settlement. These elements make up
the more static dimension of migration politics. There is however a more dynamic element. This is
shaped by the discourse of political elites (parliamentary debates, interviews, electoral campaigns
etc.), but even more often (in terms of people’s exposure to it) by media discourse. As follows,
although the majority of people may have little knowledge of laws and regulations (Hjerm 1998;
Helbling 2010), they are daily exposed to news reports. The exact direction of causal relations
between public opinion, media discourse and political decisions is difficult to determine. Various
analyses of media effects (McLeod & Detenber 1999; Tewksbury et al. 2000) have highlighted the
impact of media discourse on public opinion formation, mainly because it represents by default
the “source for ethnic information” (van Dijk 1987: 391) and has “structural influence in shaping
and changing the social mind” (van Dijk 1993: 243). Immigration is no exception.
OBJECTIVES
Since the emphasis on the preservation of cultural and religious identity promoted by
multiculturalist policies has come under fire in 2010 and 2011 as a result of a series of public
statements of high-ranking officials in the old EU Member States (Salat 2011), we investigate
media discourse in three of the European countries that have been key destinations for
immigrants. We compare media frames on immigration in a so-called “old” country of immigration
(France) with media frames in two “new” countries of immigration. France was one of the
countries where the failure of multicultural policies was openly declared: in February 2011
10
President Nicolas Sarkozy claimed that segregation of ethnic communities in the French society
was not desirable and immigrants who do not share basic values cannot be allowed to enter
France (Salat 2011).
We identify how the media perceives and transmits cues about the effects of intra-EU migration
from East to West. We evaluate the dominant media frames on migration from Romania, the
profile that is constructed for Romanian migrants, the perceived integration problems, and also
the solutions that are supported. The identification of the dominant dimensions addressed in the
six selected newspapers on the topic of Romanian migration allows us to draw some preliminary
conclusions about the framing of recent migration in comparison with older cohorts of migrants
(generally from non-EU countries).
RESEARCH DESIGN
To investigate the written media discourse on labor migrants we select two national daily
newspapers for the July 2010 – February 2012 period in each country. This period was chosen for
several reasons: high-level public statements criticizing multiculturalist policies (David Cameron
and Nicolas Sarkozy in February 2010, Angela Merkel in October 2010; see Salat 2011); specific
events (e.g. the expulsion of Roma from France in 2010); deepening of economic crisis; and finally,
access to newspaper archives.
The dataset contains articles during the period July 2010 – February 2012. The period was chosen
due to the relevance of the events that occurred during that time (e.g. forced return of Romanian
Roma from France) and the availability of the newspapers’ archival sources. The number of
selected articles that correspond to the search characteristics (the search word “Romanians”) are
found in Table 1 below:
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Table 1 - Sample of newspaper articles in France, Italy and Spain (2010-2012)
France
Spain
Italy
Le Figaro
85
El Pais
207
La Repubblica
44
Le Monde
90
El Mundo
151
Corriere della Sera
216
Total 175
Total 358
Total 260
The unit of analysis is the article. We select all articles that include references to Romanian
migrants – either individuals or groups. The articles are both news reports and editorials or
opinion articles. This choice was made in order to capture the dominant frames and possible
differences across types of articles. We are interested in identifying differences between reported
facts and opinions of journalists.
In order to identify and explain the media frames on Eastern European migration in France, Spain
and Italy during 2010-2012, we ask the following questions:
-
Which dimensions of immigration are recurring in the analyzed articles?
-
Are there dominant frames?
-
Which aspects are represented as negative?
-
Which aspects are represented as positive?
-
Are there important themes related to migration which are over-represented, or on the
contrary, under-represented or even absent from the articles?
We are interested in five dimensions, each of them with several indicators. For each indicator the
analysis can indicate if they are present or absent in the article. They are summarized in the table
below:
Dimensions
Labor market
Welfare
Crime
Indicators
Romanian migrants are a threat to the jobs of the locals
Romanian migrants accept lower wages than locals
Romanian migrants are a burden to the welfare state
Romanian migrants are contributors to the welfare state
Romanian migrants are criminals
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Integration
Solutions to the
integration problems
Discrimination
Distinctions
Specific crimes are associated to Romanians
Romanian migrants pose integration problems due to their low
education, different culture, failure to learn the language, or other
reasons
Expulsion as solution to integration problems of Romanians
Discriminatory or xenophobic behavior is promoted or supported
Reports about Romanian migrants as victims of aggression / abuse
between Romanians and Roma from Romania
The methodological procedure was composed of three steps:
a. selection of newspaper articles by identifying a series of articles published in each of
the newspapers during July 2010 – February 2012 on the topic of Romanian migration;
these words were used to narrow down the search in the Lexis Nexis Academic
database. The selection of the newspapers seeks to ensure a balanced representation
of both left and right perspectives, as well as capture the newspapers with the highest
circulation (and therefore the most likely to influence public opinion and set the
agenda).
b. selection of the articles to be studied from the number of articles automatically
identified after performing a word-based search: this step was based on reading each
article headline and selecting those articles (the units of analysis) with a combination of
words that indicated that the article was clearly about a topic closely related to
immigration: e.g. combinations containing the following words or phrases: migrants,
Roma camps, racist remarks, Roma Expulsions, evacuations, labour, terror, restrictions
etc. Selecting only a limited number of articles (only those that contained the word
“Romanian/ Romania” in the title for example) would have significantly reduced the
dimensions that can be analyzed; taking a more comprehensive approach, however,
allows for a better overview of the topics that are addressed and which dominate the
respective newspapers’ discourse about immigration in France, Italy and Spain.
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At this point we were unable to include Germany in the research, due to lack of data
availability. We will update this report in the following months.
c. in a third step, a coding scheme was designed to help us answer the research question.
We were especially interested in the following aspects:

National or local edition

If the word "Romanian"/ “Romania” was mentioned in the title

Type of article (news report or editorial/opinion)

Length of the article

Distinction between Romanians and Romanian Roma/ Gypsies

Mentioning of Romanians together to other migrants

Types of problems associated with Romanian migrants


threat to the natives’ jobs

accepting lower wages than locals

burden to the welfare state

crimes

low education

different culture

language problems

migrants as victims of aggression / abuse
Types of positive aspects associated with Romanian migrants


Romanian migrants are contributors to the welfare state
Types of solutions to these problems which appear in newspapers

Expulsion

Support for / Promotion of discriminatory or xenophobic behavior
Only the articles that were relevant for the migration theme were coded and then analyzed (e.g.
excluding articles about other topics related to Romania, such as elections, government changes,
or protests). Table 2 shows the number of articles that we kept after an initial evaluation of their
relevance for the migration topic (for comparison see Table 1 above).
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Table 2 - Relevant articles from total sample in France, Italy and Spain (2010-2012)
France
Spain
Italy
Le Figaro
57
El Pais
151
La Repubblica
41
Le Monde
51
El Mundo
133
Corriere della Sera
162
Total 108
Total 284
Total 203
FINDINGS
National and local editions
In the case of both French newspapers (Le Figaro and Le Monde), all articles that addressed the
topic of Romanian migration were national. In the case of the Italian newspapers, the situation is
different: for Corriere della Sera, 63.58% of the articles addressing Romanian migration were in
national editions, while the rest (36.42%) were in local editions; for the newspaper La Repubblica,
43.90% of the articles addressing Romanian migration were in national editions and 56.10% were
in local editions. The two newspapers we selected from Spain have a different pattern: the
majority of articles about Romanian migrants appear in the national editions of El Mundo (72.18%)
and only 27.82% in local editions; this variation is not present in the second newspaper, El Pais,
where the articles about Romanian migrants in our period of reference (2010-2012) appear only in
local editions of the newspaper.
Overview of the topics approached by the 6 newspapers
In order to identify which topics are most related to Romanian migrants, we coded the article
themes. The results show that the articles in the national edition of Le Figaro are related to crime
(22.81%), Roma expulsions (19.30%), freedom of movement (10.53%), relations between Romania
15
and France (with a view to the debates emerging after the Roma expulsions in the summer of
2010) (10.53%). Other topics, such as Roma integration, prostitution, and organized crime are also
quite prominent (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Common topics about migration from Romania – France, Le Figaro, National edition
The situation is quite different when we look at the results for the other French newspaper: Le
Monde. The results show that the articles in its national edition are related to Roma integration
challenges (20.75%), France-Romania relations (16.98%), Roma expulsions (13.21%), various topics
related to integration of migrants (11.32%). Other topics, such as France-EU relations, crime, and
migrant numbers also appear quite often (see Figure 2 below).
16
Figure 2 - Common topics about migration from Romania – France, Le Monde, National edition
The results show that the articles in the national editions of Italy’s Corriere della Sera address to
significant degree various aspects related to crime (e.g. juvenile delinquency, theft, robbery,
violent attacks) (50.49%), aspects related to the integration of migrants (11.65%). Other topics,
17
such as Roma camps, prostitution and migrant numbers are addressed to a much less degree in
comparison with the first above-mentioned topics (see Figure 3).
Figure 3 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National
edition
The local editions of Corriere della Sera show a similar pattern: more than half of the articles
related to Romanian migrants are about various crimes in which Romanian migrants are (proved
or suspected to be) involved (54.24%). Other prominent topics addressing Romanian migration are
various topics related to the integration of migrants (15.25%) and migrant numbers (10.17%).
18
Much less addressed are topics such as Roma evacuations from their camps for example (see
Figure 4).
Figure 4 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
There are important differences that we notice when comparing Corriere della Sera with the other
Italian newspaper that we included in our sample, La Repubblica. The topic that is most related to
Romanian migrants (as appears from the articles that we selected during the period of reference)
in the national editions of the newspaper is the integration of migrants (38.89%). The second
19
topic, and often connected with the first one, is the increasing number of migrants that Italy has to
deal with (and which represents a challenge for the school system, the labour market and the
housing market as well, to only give a few examples). Migrants and the labour market also feature
quite prominently among the articles (11.11%). Other topics are addressing security issues related
to migration (in Italian “sicurezza”, which represented a very prominent debate related to
migration several years before), Italian migration politics and homelessness (see Figure 5).
Figure 5 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
In the local editions of La Repubblica that address the topic of Romanian migration (most of them
in Milan) seem to be most concerned with the increasing numbers of migrants and the effects on
the school system and jobs, and the changing composition of Italian society in the areas where
20
migrants are concentrated (43.48%). An associated topic is the integration of migrants (26.09% of
the selected articles). Roma camps in Italy appear as the main topic in 13.04% of the selected
articles. An important observation is that the topic of crime appears in only 8.70% of the articles
(see Figure 6).
Figure 6 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
The variation found in the other countries does not appear to be that relevant for the two Spanish
newspapers. The weight of the topics addressed in the relevant articles about Romanian migrants
in both El Mundo and El Pais is very similar. The topic that was most common in both newspapers
21
during the reference period was that addressing the expulsions of the Roma from France and their
implications at the EU level (including debates about discrimination and freedom of movement
restrictions for EU citizens. More than 25% of the articles in both newspapers addressed this
topic. Other topics that are often addressed are related to crime (app. 22% for El Mundo and app.
21% for El Pais); subjects related to the integration of migrants in the Spanish society (for example
voting rights, the situation on the labour market) (app. 14% in both El Mundo and El Pais);
discrimination/ xenophobia and Roma integration are two related topics which are also quite
often addressed (app. 10% of the selected articles in El Mundo and 11% in El Pais) (see figures 7
and 8).
22
Figure 7 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Mundo
23
Figure 8 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Pais
When looking at the variations between local and national editions, for El Mundo, where articles
about Romanians appeared in both during our period of reference, we notice that the local
editions address crime-related topics most often (in app. 34% of the articles). The integration of
migrants (app. 13%) and articles related to the migrant numbers (app. 11%) come next,
outweighing topics such as discrimination (found in only 1% of the cases) (see Figure 9).
24
Figure 9 - Common topics about migration from Romania – Spain, El Mundo, local edition
Length of article and topic
25
When we look at the mean length of the articles and the way it varies across topics, we find the
following:
-
Le Figaro, national edition (Figure 7): the longest articles deal with the following topics:
French migration politics (936 words), territorial concentration of migrants (741 words),
the integration of migrants (702 words), Roma expulsions from France (600 words) and
debates about the freedom of movement restrictions (566 words). The shortest articles are
the ones dealing with art and culture issues (289 words) and Roma evacuations from
improvised shelter (172 words).
Figure 10 - Length of article and topic – France, Le Figaro, National edition
-
Le Monde, national edition (Figure 11): the longest articles deal with the following topics:
French migration politics (1254 words), Roma integration (807 words), international news
on migration (790 words), France-EU relations (709 words), integration of migrants (649
26
words). The shortest articles are the ones dealing with the relations between France and
Romania during and after the series of Roma expulsions (388 words), freedom of
movement restrictions (342 words), and migrant numbers (297 words).
Figure 11 - Length of article and topic – France, Le Monde, National edition
-
Corriere della Sera, national edition (Figure 12): the longest articles deal with the following
topics: Romanian politics and society (1208 words), Roma integration (1143 words), illegal
27
migration (779 words), international news on migration (758 words). The shortest articles
are the ones about crime (270-330 words).
Figure 12 - Length of article and topic – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
-
Corriere della Sera, local editions (Figure 13): the longest articles deal with the following
topics: Roma expulsions (639 words), illegal migration (583 words), organized crime (500
28
words), integration of migrants (485 words). The shortest articles are the ones about
labour migration (327 words), camps (306 words), and international news on migration
(211).
Figure 13 - Length of article and topic – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
-
La Repubblica, national edition (Figure 14): the longest articles are about Italian migration
politics (1086 words), security (977 words), integration of migrants (825 words). The
shortest articles are the ones about labor migration (587 words).
29
Figure 14 - Length of article and topic – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
-
La Repubblica, local editions (Figure 15): the longest articles are about: crime (609 words),
migrant numbers (579 words), labor migration (562 words). The shortest articles are about
crime (468 words) and poverty (407 words).
30
Figure 15 - Length of article and topic – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
An important observation, based on the above, is that the most common topics that are addressed
in the selected newspapers are not the longest ones, quite the contrary.
-
El Mundo: the longest articles in the national editions address the topic related to the
protection of minors (a mean of 764 words), Roma integration (a mean of 713 words),
freedom of movement (613 words), migrant numbers (595 words). The shortest articles are
about the topic of discrimination/ xenophobia. The situation is similar with the newspapers
from Italy and France, as the longest articles are not usually addressing the topics that are
31
most commonly found in the newspaper (see Figure 16). As regards the local editions of El
Mundo, the longest articles are about migrants as victims of exploitation (work,
prostitution etc.) (a mean of (876 words), the integration of migrants (873 words), and the
expulsions of the Roma from France (812 words) The shortest articles are on average about
discrimination/ xenophobia and Roma integration (between 370-420 words) (see Figure
17).
Figure 16 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Mundo, National edition
32
Figure 17 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
-
El Pais: in the local editions of El Pais, the longest articles are about a variety of topics
which are relevant for the integration of migrants (mean length app. 700 words), about the
integration challenges faced by the Roma community and the receiving societies (app. 680
words), and about discrimination/ xenophobia, which are usually also related to the Roma
community (app. 540 words). The shortest, on the other hand, are the articles about
33
immigration policy and migrant numbers (app. 280-440 words). As in all the other cases,
the length of the article does not reflect the frequency with which topics are addressed.
Rather, articles about topics that are very seldom addressed have a higher word count than
those which are most often addressed (see Figure 18).
Figure 18 - Length of article and topic – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
34
Frequencies type of article (news report or opinion)
The balance between news reports and editorials in the selected newspapers is the following:
-
Le Figaro, national edition (Figure 19): news reports (89.47%), editorials (10.53%)
-
Le Monde, national edition (Figure 20): news reports (90.57%), editorials (9.43%)
-
Corriere della Sera, national edition (Figure 21): news reports (88.35%), editorials (11.65%)
-
Corriere della Sera, local edition (Figure 22): news reports (98.31%), editorials (1.69%)
-
La Repubblica, national edition (Figure 23): news reports (94.44%), editorials (5.56%)
-
La Repubblica, local edition (Figure 24): news reports (100%)
Figure 19 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – France, Le Figaro, National edition
35
Figure 20 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – France, Le Monde, National edition
Figure 21 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
36
Figure 22 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
Figure 23 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
37
Figure 24 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
As in the Italy and France, in Spain there is also a predominance of news reports over editorials.
The percentage of editorials is higher in El Pais than in El Mundo (37% in comparison with 17%)
(see Figures 25 and 26 below). In the local editions of El Mundo, the editorials are also quite rare
on the topic of Romanian migration (app. 14% of the relevant articles) (see Figure 27 below).
38
Figure 25 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Mundo, National edition
Figure 26 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
39
Figure 27 - Type of article (news report or editorial) – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
Distinctions between Romanians and Roma from Romania
Since our interest also lies in identifying the type of “migrant from Romania” that is most often
discussed in mainstream newspapers in the three countries, we also looked into this aspect. The
results show notable differences. In the majority of cases (app. 56%), the articles we selected from
Le Figaro made reference to “Romanians”, in app. 40% of the cases to the “Romanian Roma” and
in very few cases (app. 3%), there were references to “Romanian Gypsies” (see Figure 28).
40
Figure 28 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – France, Le Figaro, National edition
The situation is reversed in the articles published by the other French newspaper, Le Monde. In
the majority of cases (app. 72%), the articles we selected referred to “Romanian Roma”, while only
in app. 28% of the cases the “Romanians” were discussed (see Figure 29).
41
Figure 29 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – France, Le Monde, National edition
The local and national editions of the Italian Corriere della Sera have similar approaches: when
discussing migration-related topics, they refer mostly to “Romanians” (app. 85% of the cases for
the national editions and 78% for the local editions). Only a minority of the articles mention
Romanian Roma or Romanian Gypsies specifically (see Figures 30 and 31). However, there are
often references to camps or nomad behavior, which may mean that the ones the articles refer to
the Roma, without in fact mentioning that. It is debatable whether this approach is taken for
reasons related to anti-discrimination practices or with the purpose of creating gross
generalizations related to the profile of the Romanian migrants in Italy, and what their behavior
and housing characteristics are.
Figure 30.
42
Figure 30 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
Figure 31 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
43
The same situation can be seen in the case of the second Italians newspaper, La Repubblica. The
local and national editions also refer mostly to “Romanians” (app. 83% of the cases for the
national editions and 87% for the local editions). Only a minority of the articles mention Romanian
Roma or Romanian Gypsies specifically (see Figures 32 and 33).
Figure 32 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
44
Figure 33 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
In the case of the Spanish newspapers, the articles make references either to migrants of
Romanian origin, or of Roma origin (generally referred to with the word “gitanos”). As Figures 34
and 35 below illustrate, the articles that appeared in the El Mundo national editions and the local
editions of El Pais are about the Roma from Romania (in El Mundo app. 60% of the articles make
specific reference to the Romanian Gypsies, while in El Pais about 66%). The local editions of El
Mundo seem, on the contrary, to have a majority of articles referring to Romanians, without
further specifications. There are cases in which the topic (homelessness, improper living
conditions, nomadic behavior) indicate that the news report may be about the Roma from
Romania, but this is not specified (see Figure 36 below).
45
Figure 34 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Mundo, National edition
Figure 35 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
46
Figure 36 - Distinctions between Romanians and Roma – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
The profile of Romanian migrants
To describe the profile of Romanian migrants, we coded the following dimensions that are
relevant to the ongoing debate about migration in Europe. These dimensions are also the ones
which the academic literature on migration has emphasized as potential problems for the
integration process: the relationship to the welfare state (contributions, benefits), criminality, the
effects that migrants have on the local labour markets of the countries of residence (i.e.
competition for jobs with the natives and accepting lower wages and poor working conditions).
After coding these dimensions in the six newspapers in France, Italy and Spain, we uncovered the
following trends:
47
In Le Figaro and Le Monde, in the articles where the above-mentioned dimensions were
mentioned, in most of them the criminality issue appeared (in app. 77% of the cases, criminality is
associated with Romanian migrants in the articles from Le Figaro, and in app. 72% of the cases
from the articles in Le Monde). Despite some expectations in this sense given the recent EU-wide
debate, articles related to the impact that migrants have on the welfare state are not encountered
often. The same occurs for the dimension related to the impact that migrants have on the local
labour markets and their assumed competition with natives for jobs (see Figures 37 and 38).
Figure 37 - The profile of Romanian migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition
48
Figure 38 - The profile of Romanian migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition
In Corriere della Sera, however, there are some important differences between national and local
editions. While in the former, in the articles that address the dimensions mentioned above, most
refer to Romanians as contributors to the welfare state (app. 45% of the cases). Criminality is
associated with Romanian migrants, but to a lesser degree than expected given the topics of
preference for the Italian newspaper (discussed in the section on newspaper topics) (app. 32% of
the cases). To a lesser degree, the other dimensions are related to Romanians accepting lower
wages than the natives (app. 13% of cases) and also to them representing a burden to the welfare
state (app. 9% of cases) (see Figure 39). In the articles that discuss lower wages, often one can
49
encounter references to Romanians being exploited. This is not generally associated with the
exploitation by Italian employers, but by Romanian employers.
Figure 39 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
In the local edition of Corriere della Sera, the framing is different. The “crime” topic dominates.
The other dimensions that we were interested in are largely absent. In 94% of the cases where
there are associations made with Romanian migrants, they are related to generalizations about
criminality (see Figure 40).
50
Figure 40 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
The differences between Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica are readily visible also from the
point of view of these dimensions. Romanians are described as contributors to the welfare state
in 60% of the cases where the dimensions that we considered are discussed in the national
editions. The acceptance of lower wages (and associated exploitation) also features as an
important topic (app. 20% of cases). Negative aspects such as the association to criminality and a
perceived burden on the welfare state do not feature prominently (only about 10% of the cases
each) (see Figure 41). The situation is very similar in the local editions (see Figure 42).
51
Figure 41 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
Figure 42 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
52
In the Spanish newspapers, the situation presents itself a follows:
In the articles that appear in the national editions of El Mundo, in the cases where the themes that
were of interest to our analysis are mentioned, the majority of the articles referred to in the
selection are about Romanian migrants who are burdens to the welfare state (app. 77% of cases).
The other dimensions are also addressed, but to a significantly lesser degree: articles about
Romanian migrants that perpetrate crimes (app. 11%), and articles about migrants who accept
lower wages than the natives (app. 7% of the cases) (see Figure 43 below).
Figure 43 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Mundo, National edition
53
In the articles that appear in the local editions of El Mundo, in the cases where the themes that
were of interest to our analysis are mentioned, the majority of the articles referred to in the
selection are also about Romanian migrants who are burdens to the welfare state (app. 44% of
cases). The other dimensions are however also addressed more often: articles about Romanian
migrants that perpetrate crimes (app. 11%), and articles about migrants who accept lower wages
than the natives (app. 33% of the cases) (see Figure 44 below).
Figure 44 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
54
In the articles that appear in the local editions of El Pais, in the cases where the themes that were
of interest to our analysis are mentioned, the majority of the articles referred to in the selection
are also about Romanian migrants who are burdens to the welfare state (app. 42% of cases).
Romanian migrants are portrayed as being contributors to the welfare state (but to a lesser degree
of 7%). The other dimensions are also addressed: articles about Romanian migrants that
perpetrate crimes (app. 30%), and articles about migrants who are competitors for the natives on
the labour market (app. 12% of the cases) (see Figure 45 below).
Figure 45 - The profile of Romanian migrants – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
55
Integration problems
To describe the integration problems associated with Romanian migrants, we coded the following
relevant dimensions: low education, different culture, language-learning difficulties, and other
integration problems that may be perceived as important in relation to this recent migrant group.
The following tables outline our findings for the three countries included in our report. The overall
observation is that there does not seem to be a strong emphasis on integration problems that
stem from the perceived low education, the different cultural background or the failure to learn
the language of Romanian migrants. In the few cases where these themes find their way into the
newspapers, the largest problem seems to be low education (e.g. Le Monde, see Table 3; Corriere
della Sera, see Table 4). La Repubblica shows different concerns, emphasizing the different cultural
background and the failure to learn the language as the main integration problems (see Table 5).
In the case of El Pais, the most often referred to issue is the difference in culture ( see Table 6),
while in the case of El Mundo the difference of cultural background is perceived as a problem
along with the low level of education (see Table 7 below).
Table 3 - Integration problems and dimensions - France
Le Figaro
Le Monde
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
the language
the language
No
98.2 %
98.2 %
98.2 %
96.2 %
100 %
100 %
Yes
1.8 %
1.8 %
1.8 %
3.8 %
-
-
N
57
57
57
53
53
53
56
Table 4 - Integration problems and dimensions – Italy, Corriere della Sera
Corriere della Sera
National edition
Local edition
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
the language
the language
No
100 %
100 %
99 %
98.3 %
100 %
100 %
Yes
-
-
1%
1.7 %
-
-
N
103
103
103
59
59
59
Table 5 - Integration problems and dimensions – Italy, La Repubblica
La Repubblica
National edition
Local edition
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
the language
the language
No
100 %
88.9 %
88.9 %
95.7 %
87.0 %
95.7 %
Yes
-
11.1 %
11.1 %
4.3 %
13.0 %
4.3 %
N
18
18
18
23
23
23
Table 6 - Integration problems and dimensions – Spain, El Pais
El Pais
National edition
Local edition
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
the language
the language
No
87,4 %
67,4 %
98,7 %
-
-
-
Yes
12,6 %
32,6 %
1,3 %
-
-
-
N
151
151
151
-
-
57
Table 7 - Integration problems and dimensions – Spain, El Mundo
El Mundo
National edition
Local edition
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
Low education Different culture Failure to learn
the language
the language
No
79,2 %
54,2 %
97,9 %
97,3 %
86,5 %
100 %
Yes
20,8 %
45,8 %
2,1 %
2,7 %
13,5 %
-
N
96
96
96
37
37
37
Solutions to integration problems
Given the profile of Romanian migrants and the integration problems highlighted in the six
newspapers, we were also interested in finding out whether solutions are envisaged. We therefore
coded whether expulsion was emphasized as a possible solution to integration problems, and
discriminatory behavior was supported or promoted in the newspapers. We also wanted to know
whether Romanian migrants are portrayed as being victims of aggression or abuse.
Given the context in which the debate about forced returns emerged in the period of reference
(2010-2012) – i.e. France – our expectations were confirmed, in that expulsions are identified as a
solution mostly in the French newspapers. There are notable differences, however. In Le Figaro,
there is agreement with or support for these measures in app. 42% of the cases, while in the
others, defense for this measure is not evident (see Figure 46). In Le Monde, however, the
situations appears to be very different, as in only 4% of the cases expulsions are supported as a
solution to integration problems (see Figure 47).
58
Figure 46 - Solutions to integration challenges – France, Le Figaro, National edition
Figure 47 - Solutions to integration challenges – France, Le Monde, National edition
59
The Italian newspapers did not pick up on the debate about the series of expulsions of Romanian
Roma from France. Therefore, since the issue was not prominently represented in either Corriere
della Sera or in La Repubblica, expulsion as a solution to integration problems is not a relevant
subject for these newspapers. This may also result from the fact that most of the articles that we
coded were news reports, and very few were editorials. As the Figures 48 and 49 below illustrate,
expulsion was identified as a solution to the problem only in app. 2-6% of the cases. The figures
below only illustrate the situation for the national editions of Corriere della Sera and La
Repubblica, but the situation for the local newspapers is identical.
Figure 48 - Solutions to integration challenges – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
60
Figure 49 - Solutions to integration challenges – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
As is to be expected from mainstream newspapers, overt discriminatory writing cannot be
identified, although in some cases there are associations and generalizations that are made which
could induce the idea that Romanian migrants have a certain profile, and their presence in the
societies of reception exerts negative effects. The analysis of the newspapers in the three
countries of interest confirms this expectation (see Figures 50-55 below). However, one important
aspect is not necessarily what is overtly written, but the topics that Romanian migrants (including
the Roma) are constantly related to. For example, an over-representation of criminality and its
association to Romanians can induce or influence perceptions in individuals’ attitudes towards
migrants.
61
Figure 50 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – France, Le Figaro, National edition
Figure 51 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – France, Le Monde, National edition
62
Figure 52 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
Figure 53 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
63
Figure 54 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
Figure 55 - Discrimination/ xenophobia – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
64
Another important aspect that we were interested in was whether references to Romanian
migrants are linked to aggression and/ abuse. The results of our analysis show that indeed this
issue is reflected in the six newspapers, although to a different extent. The highest emphasis in
this dimensions in encountered in articles in Le Monde (app. 30%, see Figure 57). Le Figaro is more
comparable with Corriere della Sera (both national and local editions), with only 12% of the
articles discussing aspects related to Romanian migrants as victims of aggression and/ or abuse
(see Figures 56, 58-61). La Repubblica emphasizes this issue the least (se Figures 45, 46).
Figure 56 - Exploitation of migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition
65
Figure 57 - Exploitation of migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition
Figure 58 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
66
Figure 59 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
Figure 60 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
67
Figure 61 - Exploitation of migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
In the articles from El Mundo (the national editions), in app. 36% of the cases, expulsion is
reflected as a solution to integration problems, in the local editions in only 8% of the cases (see
Figures 62 and 63 below). In El Pais, this occurs in 22% of the cases (see Figure 64 Below). The
support for such measures if however usually expressed in quite neutral terms, which can lead to a
variety of interpretations: it’s not so much the words that are used but the tone of the article.
68
Figure 62 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Mundo, National edition
Figure 63 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
69
Figure 64 - Expulsion as a solution to integration problems – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
Noteworthy is also another dimension, which refers to the article which report various forms of
abuse against Romanian migrants. In El Mundo (the local editions), this topic appears in 40% of the
cases (see Figure 65 below). In El Pais, the situation is quite similar, as the articles report such
situations in 33% of the cases (see Figure 66 below).
70
Figure 65 - Exploitation of migrants – Spain, El Mundo, Local edition
Figure 66 - Exploitation of migrants – Spain, El Pais, Local edition
71
Romanians and other migrants
It was also important for our analysis to identify which other migrant groups were mentioned
together with the Romanians. As Figures 67-72 below illustrate, there is a clear difference
between the associations in the French newspapers and the associations in the Italian
newspapers. While in the former, Romanians are mentioned together with other EU migrants
(mostly from the East, but also from the West), in latter there seem to be no differences made
with regard to the country or geographical area of origin.
Figure 67 - Romanians and other migrants – France, Le Figaro, National edition
72
Figure 68 - Romanians and other migrants – France, Le Monde, National edition
Figure 69 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, National edition
73
Figure 70 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, Corriere della Sera, Local edition
Figure 71 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, National edition
74
Figure 72 - Romanians and other migrants – Italy, La Repubblica, Local edition
75
CONCLUSIONS
The integration of immigrants (employment, language-learning, networks) in their host societies is
a dynamic process. The political, socio-economic and demographic changes of the past several
decades have cast doubts about the established “national integration models”. The avowed
retreat of multiculturalism in Netherlands or the UK and the liberalization of citizenship rights in
Germany (Joppke 2007) represent some indication that migration remains a process with
significant consequences at the individual, societal as well as at the political level. The countries
that we consider in this study (e.g. France, UK) have either designed immigration and integration
policies in response to the presence of certain types of immigrants (mostly from former colonies)
(e.g. France), or have reacted to the sudden rise in immigration during the last decades (e.g. Spain
and Italy). After the enlargement of the European Union, these countries have had to respond to
an increasing number of intra-EU migrants from Central-Eastern Europe. The receiving countries
were faced with a variety of issues as a consequence of this increasing migration wave and not
infrequently, the reactions were expressed via negative political statements, legislation and media
discourse that has often emphasized only some aspects related to the profile of the recent
migrants.
As a first step towards investigating the discourse of the media about the recent
immigrants from Eastern Europe, on the basis of approximately 600 relevant articles about
migration from Romania to France, Italy and Spain during July 2010 - February 2012, this report
has highlighted several main dimensions, outlined below. Surprising differences, but also many
similarities were brought up by the analysis, not only between countries, but also between
newspapers in the same country.
-
Main topics: the topics that are most often picked up by the media (generally negative,
predominantly associated to various forms of criminality such as prostitution, theft,
violence, organized crime networks; another topic that is addressed very often is the
expulsion of the Roma from France in 2010 and the situation of the Roma in their countries
of residence);
-
Perceived negative effects on the labor market: competition with natives, lowering wages;
76
-
Integration challenges: the tone of the newspapers regarding topics such as welfare
benefits, the labor market, the cultural background, language-knowledge etc., which intend
to get at the reflection of the ease or difficulty of integration of Romanian migrants;
-
Solutions to integration challenges: which are proposed, supported or reflected as far as
integration problems are concerned (e.g. expulsions);
-
Discrimination/ xenophobia, exploitation: the reporting of situations where migrants are
exploited or victims of discrimination, abuse, or aggression.
-
Distinctions between “migrants from Romania” and “Roma migrants from Romania”.
In order to strengthen our findings, the next stage of the research should imply qualitative
discourse analysis, which that allows for an evaluation of the positive, negative or neutral use of
the words that were revealed as being most used during the frequency analysis stage. Qualitative
analysis permits a more in depth study of the context in which the words are used and the
relations that are formed with other words. This type of research would also facilitate a more
comprehensive view of the article as the unit of analysis, as well as a discussion of the undertone
with which some articles are written, which may not contain obvious negative remarks, but a rater
latent overtone that contributes to building profiles of and generalizations about Romanian
migrants.
77