How media narratives on migration become nativist. A case-oriented comparative approach based on journalistic sub-genres

The media’s use of typical narratives and frames in discussing migration, along with the discursive devices employed for their construction, has been extensively scrutinised. However, scant attention has been directed toward the complex process of narrative production and remediation within the media sphere. Furthermore, the impact of event types on this process remains largely unexplored. This study compares the coverage of 17 migration-related events in six European countries across both traditional and social media platforms. It unveils distinctive patterns of narrative opportunities and constraints contingent upon the media ‘sub-genre’ under consideration–namely, refugee arrivals, debates on rights, and terrorist attacks–that explain why certain narratives are dominant over others. The ensuing discussion delves into the additional influences of political polarisation, European immigration policies, different media systems, and prevailing master narratives about the nation, all of which may imbue these narrative opportunities with preferred nativist meanings.