Asylum Seekers, Refugees and the Media By Jackie Beavan

Media strategies Use of emotive and stereotyping language Use of emotive and stereotyping language Negative representation Negative representation Suppression of asylum seeker voice Suppression of asylum seeker voice Repetition of media myths Repetition of media myths

Emotive and stereotyping language Flood Flood Tide Tide Swamp Swamp Invasion Invasion Bogus Bogus Illegal Illegal

Floods etc. £2 billion bill for flood of asylum seekers £2 billion bill for flood of asylum seekers (Telegraph ) The human flood we can’t control The human flood we can’t control (Telegraph ) A wave of asylum seekers could be settling in the Bridgend area A wave of asylum seekers could be settling in the Bridgend area (Glamorgan Gazette )

Negative representation Criminal Diseased Greedy Unworthy

Criminal Asylum seekers steal the Queen’s birds for barbecues Asylum seekers steal the Queen’s birds for barbecues (Sun ) “Police swooped on a group of East Europeans and caught them red-handed about to cook a pair of royal swans in a park in Beckton, East London …. Hundreds of the graceful creatures have been killed”

Criminal Daily Star

Criminal and greedy! "Many of the bogus asylum seekers flooding into Britain are cheats and criminals...Look at the Nistor family. These Romanian gypsies have been given a four-bedroom detached house free, plus £230 a month...The decent English family next door are moving because the Nistors are too noisy and filthy to endure any longer." The Sunday People, March 5, 2000 "Many of the bogus asylum seekers flooding into Britain are cheats and criminals...Look at the Nistor family. These Romanian gypsies have been given a four-bedroom detached house free, plus £230 a month...The decent English family next door are moving because the Nistors are too noisy and filthy to endure any longer." The Sunday People, March 5, 2000

Diseased We live in fear of foreigners bringing death to our land... But... it is not by allowing in terrorists that the Government's policy of mass immigration, especially from the Third World, will claim most lives. It is through letting in too many germs.' Mail on Sunday Asylum seekers spreading AIDS across Britain Daily Express

Suppression of asylum seeker voice Opposing views given centre stage Opposing views given centre stage Little exploration of asylum seekers’ stories Little exploration of asylum seekers’ stories Of all articles on refugee/asylum seekers issues in a Welsh study, only 2% had a quote from a refugee/AS Of all articles on refugee/asylum seekers issues in a Welsh study, only 2% had a quote from a refugee/AS (Welcome or over-reaction: Refugees and asylum seekers in the Welsh media 2001) (Welcome or over-reaction: Refugees and asylum seekers in the Welsh media 2001)

Repetition of media myths Britain number 1 magnet Britain number 1 magnet Asylum seekers as terrorists Asylum seekers as terrorists Asylum seekers get more than UK residents Asylum seekers get more than UK residents

So what’s new? "'The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage...' In these words, Mr Herbert Metcalfe, the Old Street magistrate, yesterday referred to the number of aliens entering the country through the 'back door' - a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed." Daily Mail, August 20, 1938 "'The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage...' In these words, Mr Herbert Metcalfe, the Old Street magistrate, yesterday referred to the number of aliens entering the country through the 'back door' - a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed." Daily Mail, August 20, 1938

So what’s new? The fact has to be recognised that Christians generally do not take kindly to the Jewish race... Not a few Englishmen regard Jews with a vague unfriendly toleration not far removed from dislike...and share...the wonder expressed in the lines 'How Odd of God to Choose The Jews'." East Anglian Daily Times, March 2, 1934 The fact has to be recognised that Christians generally do not take kindly to the Jewish race... Not a few Englishmen regard Jews with a vague unfriendly toleration not far removed from dislike...and share...the wonder expressed in the lines 'How Odd of God to Choose The Jews'." East Anglian Daily Times, March 2, 1934