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 Do not quote people who care about migrants.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”
gunnerbear
Of course the left is naïve – they think all the worlds flotsam and jetsam that rocks up on our shores are all terrifically nice people who would never dream of abusing benefits and the system.
gunnerbear
That’s because the Scots aren’t swamped with immigrants. If say Edinburgh was a flooded with immigrants as Boston or Peterborough the Scots would soon be whining….as it is they already get far more than their fair share…..rUK paying for the Scots as usual.
Cole
Not the point. Bloggs and his friends were just repeating the crap that all these dodgy foreigners are criminals – unlike fine upstanding Englishmen. Of course the Mail has been peddling this line (eg about Jews) for about 100 years, as well as backing Nazis, Blackshirts etc.
Paul 保羅 باول Billanie
It is extremely disgusting they do this.
However having said that a proper, balanced assessment of the impact of the issue is needed. Ignoring it or just branding anyone who raises the issue racist will just make the situation worse in the long run. Of course an increase in population driven by migration will impact services. Schools, doctors housing jobs etc. Saying they don’t is simple minded and ignorant.
On the jobs side a points based system is actually sensible. Those with skills we need welcomed with open arms but those with little or no skills we have to be honest we should be able to say sorry but no. We do not need potentially unlimited numbers of such workers to come here when we already have a large number of this type of native born job seekers.
On housing we do need sensible and fair rules as well and is it asking so much of those from EU nations at least for the first 5 years (example figure) to make sure they arrange privately rented accommodation so they do not put pressure on an already pressured (and with increased right to buy soon to be more pressured) social housing sector?
But then to start you do need to differentiate the different types. Those here legally as EU member citizens from those from outside the EU some of whom do take extraordinary measures to get here by illicit means. It is high time it was debated properly and sensibly before it is too late.
damon
It’s Leon (Wolfeson) isn’t it? How you been?
A lot of them guys in Calais are ”dodgy” by the way.
They’ve been through so much, many of them must be suffering PTSD.
Where are they to be put up, or do we just leave them to their own devices once they get to England?