Newspaper Frames and Migration Gains : A Comparative Study of Migration- and Migrant Related Framing in News Coverage in Colombia and the United States

Abstract: This study investigates how Venezuelan migration and migrants are framed in the U.S and Colombia. Drawing on theories about interpersonal contact and the gendered dimension of intergroup bias the paper argues that a broader and more understanding framing of migration and migrants is expected in Colombia. To investigate the hypothesis, an analysis of the newspapers El Tiempo and New York Times is conducted. The study uses a peace journalism model to analyze whether the articles employ an overall peace frame, which corresponds with a more nuanced and understanding view of the migrant experiences, or an overall conflict frame, which can be interpreted as a one-dimensional view with a focus on the negative effects of migration on the recipient society. The model is modified to enhance the framework in the form of adding a gender dimension. The study finds support for the hypothesis and demonstrates that Colombia and the U.S news coverage differs the most in terms of political conflict, gender, and migrant voice. However, in contrast to some of the previous research, a broad and understanding view on migrants and migration is prevalent in both Colombia and the U.S. These results highlight new opportunities for potential research areas.