The Image of Young Arab Refugees in the German Press: Der Spiegel as a Case Study

Volume 6|Issue 21| Summer 2017 |Theme of the Issue

Abstract

This study explores European media discourse on the current flow of refugees from the Arab Mashreq towards Europe. It begins by studying the image of young Arab refugees in the magazine Der Spiegel in 2015 and 2016, as well as other examples from Germany, Austria, and France. The findings reveal three trends in the formation of the current media discourse on refugees, which correspond to three chronological phases: a short-lived welcome when the media goes along with popular sympathy; consequent scaremongering about young Ar-ab refugees; and finally the view that the youthfulness of the refugee movement constitutes a demographic and economic benefit. The paper concludes that the ideological underpin-ning of these three trends is identical and mainly based on the continued "Orientalization" of the Other and praise for the “humanity” and “superiority” of the Europeans, who give refuge to the “weak” and “backward” Others, despite their “terrorist” nature.

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Researcher in post-colonial studies and the interaction between Eastern and Western civilizations, with focus on Arab migration and media in German-speaking countries. With several publications in both Arabic and German, Soukah obtained his PhD in German literature from the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2017. His thesis was entitled: “The Image of the East as Depicted in German Travel Literature: An Analytical Comparison between Travel Texts in the 19th and Beginning of the 21st Century”.

× Citation/Reference
Arab Center
Soukah, Zouheir. "The Image of Young Arab Refugees in the German Press: Der Spiegel as a Case Study ." Omran. vol. 6, no. 21 (Summer 2017). pp. 81-108.
Harvard
Soukah, Z. (Summer 2017) 'The Image of Young Arab Refugees in the German Press: Der Spiegel as a Case Study ', Omran, 6 (21), pp. 81-108.
APA
Soukah, Z. (Summer 2017). The Image of Young Arab Refugees in the German Press: Der Spiegel as a Case Study . Omran, 6 (21), 81-108.
Chicago
Soukah, Zouheir. "The Image of Young Arab Refugees in the German Press: Der Spiegel as a Case Study ." Omran 6, no. 21 (Summer 2017): 81-108.