The Reception of Migrant Narratives in Urban English Newspapers

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates how migrant narratives are framed, circulated, and interpreted within urban English-language newspapers, addressing a gap in understanding the media's role in shaping public perceptions of migrant experiences and integration processes in metropolitan contexts. The problem centers on inconsistent portrayals of migrants that may influence policy discourse, social attitudes, and inclusion dynamics, highlighting a need for empirical analysis of gatekeeping practices, tone, thematic emphasis, and audience reception. The aim is to examine (1) how migrant narratives are constructed in front-page and feature articles across major urban English newspapers over a two-year period, (2) the thematic patterns and linguistic strategies employed to represent migrants, and (3) the reception and interpretive outcomes among urban readerships. Specific objectives include (a) identifying dominant frames (e.g., humanitarian, threat, economic contribution) and their evolution over time; (b) analyzing linguistic valorizations and stigmatizations through sentiment and frame analysis; (c) assessing readership interpretation via a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative focus groups (n=6 groups, 48 participants) and quantitative survey (n=1,200 respondents) to gauge perceived credibility, empathy, and policy attitudes; (d) evaluating differential framing by newspaper type (broadsheet versus tabloid) and regional urban centers; and (e) testing the relationship between media framing and stated support for integration policies using regression analysis. The study adopts a mixed-methods research design anchored in framing theory and social representation theory, supplemented by narrative theory to interpret migrant storytelling. The population comprises English-language urban newspapers circulated in three large metropolitan areas and their adult readership. A stratified sampling technique will select 12 months of weekday front-page and feature articles from five leading newspapers, yielding approximately 1,200 articles for content analysis. The data collection instruments include a coding scheme for framing, tone, and narrative elements, a validated reader survey instrument measuring perceived credibility, empathy, and policy attitudes, and semi-structured focus group guides to elicit interpretive schemata. Validity and reliability will be ensured through intercoder reliability testing (Cohen’s kappa > .80 for content analysis), pilot testing of the survey instrument, and triangulation across data sources. Data analysis combines quantitative and qualitative methods content analysis will quantify frame frequencies and sentiment scores; linguistic analysis employing corpus-assisted discourse studies will map lexical patterns around migrant groups; multivariate regression will assess the relationship between news frames and public attitudes controlling for demographic covariates; and thematic analysis of focus group transcripts will interpret audience interpretation and emotional engagement. The expected findings anticipate a predominance of humanitarian and economic-competence frames in urban newspapers, with tabloid outlets favoring simplified, episodic narratives and broadsheets delivering more nuanced, contextualized portrayals. Positive framing is expected to correlate with higher trust in media, greater empathy toward migrants, and stronger support for inclusive policy measures, whereas threat-based frames may correlate with restrictive attitudes and resistance to policy reform. The study contributes to knowledge by elucidating the mechanics of migrant narrative construction in urban English press and its downstream effects on public opinion and policy discourse, advancing framing theory in the context of migration journalism, and offering methodological guidance for simultaneous content and reception analyses. Practical implications include recommendations for newsroom practices to enhance balanced reporting, guidelines for media literacy interventions to mitigate sensationalism, and policy dialogue frameworks that account for media-influenced public attitudes. The main conclusion anticipated is that frame selection and narrative delivery significantly shape urban readership perceptions of migrants, with substantive implications for integration outcomes and democratic deliberation. Recommendations include adopting transparent editorial policies on migrant coverage, expanding data-driven audience research to monitor framing effects, and fostering collaborative initiatives between media outlets and migrant communities to improve accuracy, representation, and civic engagement.