More (about) Borders, less (about) Humans

This study examines the coverage of migration and asylum seeking in eight Greek media outlets (Efsyn, Ta Nea, I Kathimerini, Proto Thema, Eleftheros Typos, Makeleio, i-efimerida and zougla) between September and November 2021 using a quantitative content analysis.

The main findings are: Media coverage was strongly shaped by the discourse of (Greek and European) political elites and the decisions taken by them. In contrast, it was much less influenced by non-elite sources and, in particular, the voice of refugees and migrants themselves. At the same time, reporting was more concerned about border security and restrictive measures of surveillance and control than about human security and solutions based on human rights.