Phobias Implementation Through Political Media Discourse

Differences in Migrants’ Phobia Implementation in Russian and Western Media

The word “migrant” has become a hotly contested word. One thing that has emerged clearly in the debate on migrants and migration is that it is very much in the eye of the entire world’s main media. Key political actors in the world (Putin, Merkel, Trump) have spoken on migrants.

The attitude towards migrants in Russian and in English-speaking audience is laminated and layered. The analyzed articles show the attitude of ordinary citizens, police, and government representatives. In both societies the immigrants are perceived (at varying degrees) to be a threat. The Middle East and Islamic origin of refugees equates them, according to the Europeans, to terrorists. Terrorists may appear in the country, hiding among the refugees arriving by boat. Fears can be specific (fear of acts of terrorism, crime, increased competition in the labor market) and abstract (the threat to European values, morals, public order).

In phobia implementation broadcast by the Russian media, it is possible to trace the opposition parties at the local level: there are on the one hand the defenseless women whereas inactive police and public institutions are on the other hand (Blyaher, 2002). The same phobia of migrants is implemented by the US media too, but this fear is not dominant, and the choice of language shows the installing of a phobia as opposing ethnic civilized European and ethnic barbaric (migrants) origins. The following examples illustrate all we said above.

…The situation in the EU is deteriorating. Every month about 150 000 refugees from Syria and Iraq penetrate into Europe... Residents of Cologne still can not move away from the horrors of New Year's Eve ended by the attacks of Arab youth on the girls, looting and multiple rape ... group “sexual assault” occurred in other German cities as well as in Finland and Austria ... criminal ethnic groups of yesterday's refugees have formed in Europe… It is striking that the German police being firstly inactive then dispersed the spontaneous protest of local residents by water cannons ... The municipality for three consecutive days forbade any printed information about what had happened ... And then a demonstration of police impotence and insecurity of urban dwellers was followed by depression, anxiety and fear to go out in the city. As some in the European Union press say…on the New Year’s Eve ... the ISIL tried out a strategy for the future seizure of the states of Europe ... They are selling drugs, raping and beating the visitors, and the authorities quietly hope that the newcomers will not break the fragile fence and run away, as has happened repeatedly. It remains to shrug and admit that immigrants "tolerance" tactics meeting with flowers, distributing free blankets, food, and "Welcome" posters has led only to the fact that all the uninvited guests are sure of getting away with the crimes, including violence and looting (Arguments and Facts 28.01.2016).

Title: “The double betrayal”. … Swedish police hid the facts of attacks on women. Swedish police failed to investigate numerous cases of sexual harassment against girls ... Swedish police spokesman Varg Yillander acknowledged that one of the possible reasons for non-disclosure of cases of harassment could be the fact that some of the perpetrators were immigrants. The government, not wanting to worsen the already harsh debate about refugees arriving in the country, in any possible way avoid publishing any data about the new arrivals in the negative (Arguments and Facts 12.01.2016).

The Russian edition portrays refugees as a faceless, collective aggressive weight. There is a division of phobia implementation, when its object (German women) is portrayed as the injured party, and the fear (phobia) causer (migrants from Asia) is represented as dehumanized (aliens) subjects with a lack of human qualities (uninvited guests).

Strengthening a negative assessment of migrants takes place by describing the positive moral qualities of the Europeans, confirming that the European public has supported a welcoming government policy (immigrants tolerance 'tactics meeting with flowers, distributing free blankets, food and “Welcome!” posters).

In general, Russian media broadcast phobias that can be described as individual and social fears for a citizen’s own life and material well-being, and not an abstract fear, such as a threat to European values and cultural well-being. In the Russian media emotional words with a very large imaginative ability are used (for example, water cannon to disperse a peaceful rally, the specific nomination of crimes committed by migrants), the text is often accompanied by images of civilians, making the Russian audience trust.

Both Russian and foreign publications transmit the statements of the parties responsible for the resolution of fearful situation, the proof of it being the quotations of police officials as well as the main political players – the Heads of State and Governments of Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Sweden. However, the Russian edition, describing the negative actions of migrants through quoting European journalists critical to the visitors, does not give a specific category of its source but a limited wording “As some in the European Union press say…”

US media also install phobias caused by the flow of immigrants (phobias language support is underlined).

Title: Sexual Attacks Widen Divisions in European Migrant Crisis

Across Europe, the migrant crisis that has engulfed the Continent since the summer is provoking new levels of public anxiety after the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany, where witnesses and the police described predatory gangs of mostly foreign men, including some refugees, groping and robbing young women. The Cologne police are also investigating allegations of rape.

While the details in some of those reports are sketchy… they have touched an exceptionally raw nerve as European societies face the challenge of integrating and acculturating the asylum seekers, most of them Muslims, and a majority of those single men.

Far-right political parties, which have long invoked … dark-skinned foreigners threatening European identity and security … have capitalized on the inability of the European Union to secure its external borders while efficiently managing the movement of migrants inside the bloc… the great fear is the fear of Islam.

Unless political leaders could quickly articulate a nuanced argument for migration — one that confronts fears about security and religious differences, especially in the aftermath of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris — public support for granting asylum to refugees could collapse (New York Times 13.01.2016).

In contrast to the Russian edition, the American one broadcasts phobias as social fear in the national (pan-European) level, caused by the influx of migrants, with several components to be identified. Thus, the color indication of migrants (dark-skinned foreigners) implies the opposition of the white population and the newcomers, it is a racial component. Anti-Islamic component that is Islamophobia (great fear is the fear of Islam; the asylum seekers, most of them Muslims) is also provided as well as suspicion of alien population, xenophobia (predatory gangs of mostly foreign men; fears about security and religious differences; the challenge of integrating and acculturating the asylum seekers).

Western media smooth the image of phobia causer with the help of linguistic means of propaganda (political leaders could quickly articulate a nuanced argument for migration; the details in some of those reports are sketchy) representing, thus, rational interests of the warring parties to the conflict (again, the task of the authors does not include consideration of the ethical side of the situation), implying the idea that genuine refugees and not the welfare seekers arrive in Europe (queue jumpers – wishing to get out of order).

Analyzing Headlines and Excerpts from Articles in the American Media with Discursive Practice of Migration to Europe

The following are the headlines and excerpts from recent articles in the American media with the discursive practice of migration to Europe, (phobias language support is underlined).

Germany’s willingness to take in one million migrants blew into the open on Tuesday after reports that scores of young women in Cologne had been groped and robbed on New Year’s Eve by gangs of men described by the authorities as migrants… (New York Times 06.01. 2016).

Sexual Attacks Widen Divisions in European Migrant Crisis

…anxiety after the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne , Germany, where witnesses and the police described predatory gangs of mostly foreign men, including some refugees , groping and robbing young women. (New York Times 14.01.2016).

As Germany Welcomes Migrants,  Sexual Attacks in Cologne Point to a New Reality

Drawing on the previous year’s experience, they identified their biggest worry as pickpocketing and fireworks… (New York Times 15.01. 2016).

Cologne  Mayor’s Arm’s Length Advice on Sexual Attacks Stirs Outcry

The mayor of Cologne has inflamed a debate in Germany about migrants and sexual harassment by suggesting that women can protect themselves from men on the streets by keeping them more than an arm’s length (New York Times 07.01 2016).

Number of complaints in Cologne attacks continues to grow

German prosecutors say more than 800 complaints have now been filed in connection with assaults and robberies in Cologne on New Year’s Eve that investigators have linked largely to foreigners …(Washington Post 19.01. 2016).

Germany: 1st suspect held over Cologne sex assaults

A 26-year-old Algerian man has become the first person arrested in connection with a string of sexual assault during New Year’s celebrations in Cologne that sparked a debate about Germany’s ability to integrate migrants. ( Washington Post 18.01. 2016 )

AP Interview: IOM chief: don’t label migrants as threat

The head of the International Organization for Migration said Sunday that Europe must avoid viewing migrants as a “security threat” following the New Year’s Eve assaults in Cologne and November’s attacks in Paris. (Washington Post 17.01. 2016).

Swedish police investigating alleged officer-led cover up of sexual assaults by migrants

The attacks are drawing comparisons to those carried out on New Year's Eve in Cologne, Germany ( Washington Post 12.01. 2016 ).

German sexual assaults lead to ‘I told you so’ claims on Muslim immigrants in U.S.

Donald Trump, Franklin Graham and other conservatives say this proves their caution right ( Washington Post 11.01. 2016 ).

Sexual assaults challenge Germany’s welcoming attitude toward refugees

“I don’t want to have to fear those whom I actually want to help”. ( Washington Post 06.01. 2016 ).

The American media name the sources of their information very clearly, even if those sources do not approve the migration policy (Donald Trump, Franklin Graham and other conservatives ...). Very specific references, times and places are used to achieve maximum effect. Phobias source, i.e. migrants are described in the English-speaking media in the indefinite number (some) as mostly foreign men. On this background the English-speaking media depict a strong positive role of the police (after the first person arrested more than 800 complaints have been filed; as for Swedish police they are investigating crimes).

The phobia causer in both Russian and American media is constantly changing his identity (aliens, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, foreign men, gangs), the Russian edition adds to this description the non-human/extraterrestrial (aliens’) features reinforcing thus a negative assessment of migrants.

The American media have also seen cases of protectionist description of migrants (Don’t threat migrants as threat; Germany’s welcoming attitude; whom I actually want to helр; women can protect themselves from men).

The nomination of phobia causer is more intensively coloured in the negative in the Russian media (ISIL, ethnic criminal groups). Russian-language media aim at establishing contact with the reader using the methods of increasing interest due to more detailed and emotional description, a small percentage of positive information and the predominant percentage of negative descriptions. The information so presented can distract the audience from the Russian domestic problems and unite the Russian citizens in front of a possible threat (both from the east – migrants, and the west –America).

Such a pragmatic effect of the media text as manipulativeness is a characteristic feature of the analyzed articles, namely the promotion of the idea of fear in the all-human scale. Fear is caused by the influx of refugees from other cultures (American and Russian editions), religion (US editions), another color of skin (US edition) with the emotive impact on the readers through the choice of vocabulary with a strong component of “fear” and “bad” in the dictionary sense (the American and Russian edition), acceptance and support of the social and political decisions (welcoming migrants policy) in a society with multiplicity of points of view (US editions). The messages transmitted to the domestic audience are national unity (US editions) and the message to end double standards (Russian edition).