Abstract:

The way digital news platforms represent migration issues can signifi-
cantly impact intergroup relations and policymaking. A recurring question in the
debate on the role of news platforms is whether they merely transmit informa-
tion on migration, or actively hype specific issues. Drawing on a comprehensive
set of socioeconomic statistics on migrants in Denmark, and employing a longitu-
dinal automated content analysis of migration news content, we utilize time-series
analysis to understand how four distinct categories of threat (security, economic,
cultural, and generalized) relate to socioeconomic data on terror attacks, migrant
crime levels, economic performance, and demographic trends. The results reveal a
direct effect of terror attacks, economic performance, and demographic trends on
migration news. We discuss the implications of socioeconomic and demographic
developments as factors in digital media content to understand the role of media
and substantiate contemporary debates

Publisher's Version