Debating Immigrants and Refugees in Central Europe: Politicising and Framing Newcomers in the Media and Political Arenas

ISBN-13: 9781032245485 / Angielski

Jan Kovář

Opis

This book investigates the politicisation and framing of immigration in the media and political arena in Central Europe, examining two countries - Czechia and Slovakia - in the period surrounding the “European migrant crisis”. Following years of immigration being practically invisible as an issue in the socio-political debates in most Central and Eastern European countries, it became a key concern because of the crisis. Analyzing news media items and plenary speeches,  this book reveals how securitisation eclipses humanitarian considerations, dominating the discourse around immigration and that media and politicians are the two most important intermediaries from which citizens take cues on issues they rarely experience directly themselves. Finally, it also shows how the media and political arena portray immigration differently based on the origin, religious background, and legal status of immigrants.This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of migration studies, global governance, international organisations, security studies, and media studies, as well as more broadly for public law, comparative politics and East/Central European politics.

Recenzje

‘Political actors of the radical right may get all the attention, but for a full understanding, we need to consider the politicization of immigration across the political spectrum. This book broadens our understanding by systematically examining politicization and framing in Eastern Europe - an area greatly neglected in academic research.’

Didier Ruedin, University of Neuchâtel

‘Jan Kovar’s book presents a superb study of the politicisation of immigration in Czechia and Slovakia around the refugee inflow of 2015-2016. The detailed examination of the salience, polarisation and framing of immigration in the media and parliamentary debates for two little-known cases decisively enriches our understanding of the political dynamics around immigration in Europe.’

Laura Morales, Sciences Po, Paris

‘Debating Immigrants and Refugees in Central Europe is a valuable resource for anyone interested in media coverage of migration, news framing effects, and public attitudes to migration in Central Europe. It is an important contribution to our understanding of the politicization of migration in the region.’

Lenka Dražanová, European University Institute

‘By studying Czechia and Slovakia, this book leads us to rethink the politicization of immigration and highlights the criticality of broadening the cases studied beyond the "usual suspects". Kovář provides innovative insights regarding the frames used in media and parliamentary arenas, while showing that context and focusing events matter. This book offers a solid foundation to understand the rising salience and polarisation of immigration in Central and Eastern Europe.’

Catherine Xhardez, Université de Montréal

‘Kovář nuances how we think about the framing of different immigrants across Europe. His theoretical insights stem from almost 11,000 media and political items during ‘routine’ and ‘crisis’ times. Understanding how framing plays out in new contexts is crucial, as it carries long-term implications for migrants’ safety and settlement.’

Victoria Finn, European University Institute

‘Kovář’s book is a significant and comprehensive case study on recent years portraying migrants in two Central and Eastern European countries, Czechia and Slovakia. The book can be used by students of immigration, policymakers, individual experts as well as anyone interested in the changes in CEE societies.’

Marta Pachocka, University of Warsaw

Spis treści

1. Introduction  2. Immigration in Central Europe: The Politics, Policies and Public Opinion in Czechia and Slovakia  3. Politicisation and Framing: The Conceptual Tools for the Study of Immigration  4. Portraying Immigrants in the Media Arena: Their Politicisation and Framing in Czechia and Slovakia  5. The Determinants of the Mediated Debate on Immigrants: Events, Immigrant Characteristics, and Outlet Type as the Key Factors  6. Portraying Immigrants in the Political Arena: Politicisation and Framing of Newcomers  7. The Determinants of the Politicisation and Framing of Immigrants in the Political Arena  8. Conclusions about the Politicisation and Framing of Immigrants in Central Europe  References

O autorze

Jan Kovář is Deputy Director for Research and Head of Centre for European Politics at the Institute of International Relations in Prague. He holds a Ph.D. degree in International Relations and European Studies from a joint programme by the Institute of International Relations Prague and Metropolitan University Prague. His main research interests revolve around the study of EU politics, party politics, media and communication studies, and migration in Europe. His work has been published in the International Communication Gazette, Journal of International Relations and Development, Problems of Post-Communism, and other journals. He also serves as the deputy editor-in-chief of Czech Journal of International Relations.