Today's story provides a handy guide to the dark arts of the press
It is a truth universally acknowledged that migrants get a rough ride in the British press. But how do they do it?
Today’s Daily Mail provides a crash course in the dark arts of demonising migrants. Here are some of the basics:
1. Do not refer to migrants as people.
It is of the first importance that these people not be seen as human. Instead, use words like ‘figures’, ‘numbers’, ‘influx’ – or indeed, ‘migrant’, which simply means a person who moves from one place to another.
2. Use numbers instead of words where possible.
Words can be slippery. To avoid breaking step 1, use numbers like 18,000, as in today’s story. This helps creates the idea of migration as a pest control problem, or a force of nature, rather than a man-made crisis that involves human lives.
3. Use the language of crime.
Discuss migrants as you would criminals. Some examples from today’s story are ‘sneak’, ‘evade’, ‘targeting’ and ‘caught’. These are bad people doing a bad thing. They deserve to be punished. (Add a scary picture of dark-skinned people if you can.)
4. Do not quote people who care about migrants.
Pick your sources with care. Organisations which worry about the safety of migrants should not be quoted if possible (as they are not in today’s story). This might cause readers to see another side of the story, learn about its context and the causes of migration, hear ideas for solutions, and even empathise with the migrants themselves. Instead, seek quotes from police, tough-guy politicians, truck drivers, British tourists, and so on.
5. Do not speak to migrants.
This may be the most important step. Under no circumstances should you interview the people trying to reach Britain. Asking about their experiences and motivations, or just about their family or their favourite food, could risk readers seeing them as human, and should be avoided at all costs. This includes the cost of good stories or honest journalism.
There are other steps, and not all of these are kept all the time. Reports of migrants drowning in the Mediterranean has broken through the usual filters as a regrettable anomaly. Generally though, some adherence to the above will ensure you write about migrants correctly.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
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39 Responses to “Daily Mail’s 5 step guide to demonising migrants”
Alan Whitfield
Maybe they were in England but certainly not in Scotland. Not everyone in the UK thinks like the the men polishing their chins on the curtains of Number 10.
Some of us belive in equality over equity.
And no one has said a lack of compassion towards the plight of human beings seeking asylum from government orchestrated persecution was being racist.
I’d suggest it smacks of intolerance or a lack of education on the subject.
So, angry and stupid but not always racist.
Mrs Trellis
”I own a small specialist finance consultancy helping people arrange difficult finance.”
– ah, so you are a loan shark
”I am also involved in lettings”
– and a slum landlord.
Truly, the Mail is strong in this one…..
stevep
You seem to be keen, fairly knowledgeable and certainly have a lot to say, why don`t you show your mettle and lead us by example to help build New Jerusalem in England`s green and pleasant land, or will it end up being a stinking snake pit.
damon
Ask the British public if they want thousands of the Calais migrants and what do you think the result of a survey would be? These people:
”Hundreds of Sudanese and Eritrean migrants clashed overnight at a migrant camp in Calais, in the north of France. Reports say 21 people were wounded, of whom 14 were taken to hospital in Calais”.
http://www.channel4.com/news/calais-migrant-camp-battle-between-sudanese-and-eritreans
damon
Your contribution is too. Can you give us figures on how many we should take …… and from where? Do we take plane loads of ”unsorted” (unprocessed) migrants straight off the boats?
Or should we select the ones we deem might have a good asylum case and leave Italy with the rest? Which would be unfair of course.
So let’s say we take the unprocessed migrants with no passports or any documentation at all.
We then need to house them on arrival in the UK. Where do you suggest? In refuge camps or hostels? Who is going to feed them? Are they to be given some money so they can meet minimul living costs? What do you do when you think people are lying about where they come from?
Everyone is claiming to be from Eritrea. What do you do when you find Ghanans and Nigerians amongst them? The Nigerians all claim they are in danger from Boko Harem.