Understanding media debate around migration: the relation between favorable and unfavorable representations of migration in the Greek Cypriot press

Avraamidou M., Kadianaki E., Ioannou M., Panagiotou, El.

Τhe aim of this presentation is to discuss a qualitative analysis of the media debate around migration in Cyprus between 2011 and 2015 via: (a) presenting how migrants are represented in the Greek Cypriot press, and (b) assessing the extent and the way in which favorable and unfavorable representations around migration are in dialogue. Findings show that migrants are constructed in economic (e.g., as assets to economy) and humanitarian (e.g., as victims) terms in the favorable representations, whereas in the unfavorable ones migrants are constructed primarily as a threat to the local economy, to security, and to the nation’s culture and existence. In terms of the relation between the two, favorable representations engage more clearly and in more detail with alternative representations of migrants than unfavorable ones. Favorable focus more on countering negative representations of migrants while unfavorable focus more on countering negative representations of the authors (e.g. being racist), through disclaimers. Nevertheless, authors of favorable representations managed alternatives by stigmatizing those who held opposing views and did not elaborate on their arguments. These findings speak to the superficial and polarizing character of the debate and point to implications for further research on the relation between the different stances on migration in other forums such as social media.

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Dr Maria Avraamidou holds a PhD in Communications and Internet studies by the Department of Communication and Internet Studies, Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). Her PhD, funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (IPE) consists of two main empirical studies: a qualitative media analysis which investigates national identities in the Greek-Cypriot Press, during negotiations for a peace settlement and, through in-depth interviews, an analysis of individual Greek-Cypriots’ perceptions of the nation and national identifications. As a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Psychology, UCY she conducts research on media representations of migrants (Horizon 2020 – RE.CRI.RE. Project) and media analysis of inter-ethnic negotiations for Cyprus reunification. Maria combines an interdisciplinary professional and educational background holding a BA in Law, MA in Multimedia Journalism while she has worked in both fields for several years before taking a genuinely academic turn. Her work has been published in international journals and presented at international conferences.