Migration narratives in media and social media: the case of France
This Working Paper analyses the main narratives on migration developed in traditional and social media around three different case studies in France: the terrorist attack on the Nice basilica in 2020; the irregular crossings from Calais to the UK through the Channel Tunnel in 2015; and the burkini controversy in 2016.
The H2020 BRIDGES project aims to understand the causes and consequences of migration narratives in a context of increasing politicisation and polarisation with a three-fold objective:
Academic
Analysing the processes of narrative production and impact, and how they influence each other. BRIDGES studies why some migration narratives become dominant over others and what impact they have on individuals’ decisions and attitudes, as well as on policymakers.
Policy
Fostering evidence-based policies. BRIDGES develops a typology of government strategies to respond to populist narratives and provides policy recommendations on how to redress a tendency towards increasingly symbolic policies in the field of migration at the EU and national levels.
Societal
Creating spaces for dialogue between actors involved in narrative production. BRIDGES fosters the exchange of good practices among cultural entities, civil society organisations and migrant communities on how to build alternative narratives on migration.
