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

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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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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