Migration crisis in British mass media

The first chapter of the thesis concentrates on the features of political discourse and provides a brief overview of what this concept implies. In addition, the paper analyzes the elements and concept of ‘discourse’ itself from the perspective of different researchers.
The chapter also examines the historical development peculiarities of the political discourse as an important sphere of research. The definitions of political discourse proposed by different scientists are given and the approaches to the study of
this concept are indicated. The paper also analyzes the textual features of the political language and highlights the cognitive and communicative parameters in the study of political discourse. The arguments that confirm the role of the political discourse in the development of migration narrative are as well presented.
Furthermore, the paper indicates the important role of the mass media in the formation of public consciousness. The concepts of media discourse are given according to linguists who study the features of the media sphere. The chapter justifies the complex taxonomy of media discourse. Various methods of analysis of media texts are pointed out and the direct influence of the media on the conceptualization of migration processes is indicated. It is stated that media studies have become an important part of the geopolitics formation and affects the public’s understanding of global processes.
It is emphasized that migration discourse also plays an important role in the ideological construct, which is involved in the formation of public opinion and attitudes towards migrants. The connection between the migration discourse and the political and media ones is exemplified and it is stressed that metaphors are an inherent part of the migration discourse. The directions of study of this type of discourse in the works of modern researchers are indicated.
The second chapter of the research thesis is devoted to the issue of immigration framing in the British mass media. It is stated that framing is realized through the use of front pages, headlines and other visual means. The research indicates the fact of the polarization of print media in the UK media discourse. The features of the negative rhetoric used towards refugees are covered, as well as the fragmentation of news migration content.
To exemplify the abovementioned, the front pages of left- and right-wing newspapers that participate in the processes of “stereotypization” and “positivization” of the image of a migrant are analyzed in detail. The front pages of anti-immigrant newspapers are distinguished by the fact that they use the images of particular refugees, mostly men who are called "terrorists", "killers" and "rapists" and are contrasted with innocent faces of Europeans. Due to the use of bright and catchy
headlines and texts of the British press, the peculiarities of the language of “otherness” are highlighted.
The chapter also provides the analysis of creolized texts – cartoons and posters, which influence the deepening of the “Us" - "Them" dichotomy.
The third chapter of the thesis analyzes the linguistic representation of migrants in the UK media. The articles of media resources were studied which cover migrants and the migration process both negatively and positively.
It has been established that the main means of achieving negative stereotypization, dehumanization and deligitimization of the refugee image that is used by the right-wing press are conceptual metaphors. The analysis of left-wing media revealed that in order to narrow the gap in society between “them” and “us,” the stories and voices of migrants are actively posted on the pages of these newspapers.
It is stated that the metaphorization of migrants was carried out through the use of such lexical groups as nouns, adjectives and verbs, which have strengthened the verbal representation of migrants.
In order to summarise the research foundings, it should be said that British media resources actively use both verbal and visual means of refugees’ portrayal. The analysed data prove that there are more examples when refugees have been “attacked” and have been negatively represented in comparison with the positive coverage of migration. Right-wing media prevailed over left-wing ones in that they more often escalated fear and spread xenophobic and racist attitudes towards migrants among society.

Demirdzhaieva M. Migration crisis in British mass media : master’s thesis : 035 Philology / Honcharova Olha. - Kyiv, 2020. - 107 р.