What does the media focus on when it talks about immigrants?

Written by Sabrina Axster

Every month, New Women New Yorkers features a summary of the most important national and local immigration news in a news digest. And, after nearly a year of compiling and reading the information that appears in the news about immigrants and immigration, I noticed a few common factors emerge.

I decided to take a look at what the mainstream US print and online media actually covers when it comes to these issues to see where the gaps are and find out how the NWNY blog can fill them. How are immigrants represented and who is represented? Most importantly, what is missing in this news coverage?

What is covered when it comes to immigration

Major crises or the government’s inability to provide for new immigrants, such as the influx of children from Central America last year, are broadly covered in the US media. This reporting includes interviews with immigration experts, politicians and advocates, as well as reports of the situations on the ground.

Political debates and policy proposals concerning immigration also make frequent appearances. For example, President Obama’s executive action and the backlash against it were discussed in depth. Since there is an ongoing immigration debate in the US, many news stories focus on the need to reform outdated immigration and integration policies and legislation. With preparations for the 2016 presidential election gearing up, immigration reform is one of the issues most commonly discussed by candidates and reported on by the print media.

In May, NWNY published an initial overview of each declared candidate’s stance on immigration. The playing field has since changed significantly — many more presidential hopefuls have joined the race — which has shifted the discussion, as can be seen in this summary of the candidates’ positions on immigration.

Finally, there are pieces that tell us the individual stories of immigrants, discussing each person’s hopes, fears, journey, and experience immigrating. These articles take different forms: There have been stories about the journeys people undertake and the legal obstacles they face, and about the challenges of vulnerable groups of immigrants fleeing from poverty or crime. Others talk about the lives of individual immigrants in the US.

But the majority of stories still talk more about politics than people, causing the discussion on immigrants to seem impersonal. Articles where immigrants tell their own stories in their own voices are even rarer.

How do articles discuss the benefits of immigration?

Articles advocating for executive action, more immigration, or less restrictive immigration policies often base arguments on economic grounds. The focus is on the economic and financial benefits immigration can bring in contributing to the tax system, providing much-needed labor — especially in high-skilled fields — and filling gaps in specific industries and sectors, including healthcare and agriculture.

There is also a larger debate about the ability of undocumented immigrants to access the education and financial support they need. Those who support the idea that immigrants should have access to the US education system argue that it would help to fully harness the benefits of training young immigrants and help to integrate them into the labor force.

On the opposite side, writing that condemns pro-immigration policies also draws on economic factors for support, but highlights costs rather than benefits by citing concerns like the abuse of the welfare and healthcare systems, which have been countered by other researchers and publications. Threats to culture and personal safety, like gang crime and the drug trade, are also common themes.

How media coverage could be changed — for the better

Some newspapers, and local media in particular, occasionally cover the positive aspects of immigration and report individual stories of immigrants; however articles about the politics, policy, and economics still dominate.  

An often missing factor from the arguments supporting immigration in the media is a reference to the cultural and social benefits immigrants bring to the US. The diversification of food, music, and the arts are additional ways in which immigration enriches our society.

There could also be more reporting on immigrants from countries like India and China: Data from 2013 shows that they replaced Mexico as the top immigrant origin countries, but judging by media coverage, you’d think that immigrants coming to the US are primarily from Latin America. The immigrant population in the US is extremely diverse — as are the reasons each person leaves his or her country of origin.

Not all who migrate are fleeing from persecution or danger. The reasons immigrants come to the US are as manifold as where they come from. Many come with the goal of starting a new life, studying or seeking new employment opportunities, and, with the help of both governmental and non-governmental support systems, are able to succeed. Reflecting on this diversity could help to more broadly understand the experiences that immigrants coming to the US have had.

Including more detailed and diverse information in the coverage of immigrants in the US would be an opportunity for everyone — especially those who do not have personal experience with immigrants — to gain a better understanding of the American immigration landscape and experience. Rather than victimizing these communities, why not help empower both immigrants and those who are able to help them?

Curious about the experiences some women immigrants have in New York City? Check out these inspiring stories on the NWNY blog:

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