French Print Media and the Portrayal of Refugees: The Biopolitics of Crime Reporting

Abstract

Across the world, the media plays an essential role in the formation of public opinion surrounding the plight of asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and conflict. There are two global frames through which the public is conditioned to view refugees, either as dangers to society or as helpless victims. One potential explanation, as is addressed by this research, is the print media’s portrayal of refugees and asylum seekers. Through the synthesis of media priming, in which print news influences associations between concepts and memory by constant presentation of two concepts, increasing the accessibility of an association, and the biopolitics of the humanitarian aid system, often examined in relation to nutrition and health, the question this research poses is: how did the French print media portray refugees and asylum seekers during the peak of the refugee crisis in Europe, from 2015 to 2017, in relation to their interactions with bodies? To answer this question, roughly three hundred French news articles were coded based on four criteria. The resulting data reveals that the French print media reported on crimes of bodily harm more so than those of non-bodily harm. Additionally, alleged crimes committed by refugees peaked during periods of heightened fear surrounding refugees across Europe. Finally, and possibly most shockingly, reports of hate crimes committed against refugees peaked during or after the same periods of fear prompted by terrorist attacks.