Europe is in the middle of the largest influx of people since the Second World War. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the move to search for better life, free of war and fear, just within Europe. Another 4 million are being hosted in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. In 2014, the Great Britain gained approximately 330,00 people through migration, which is the highest figure ever to be recorded.
On Thursday, in an interview with British news station ITV, the British prime minister, David Cameron described the Syrian refugees as “a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life.” Referring anything to a swarm of something instantly creates a sense of fear for the readers or listeners. His use of use of language has been criticized and condemned by rival politicians and the Refugee Council as dehumanizing.
This irresponsible and dehumanizing choice …show more content…
In addition to dangers of traveling long distances and hazardous terrains for extended period of time, the refugees also face hostility and racism from the media. Recently in a FOX News report, the refugees were referred to as terrorists and jihadists. This is not only inaccurate and racist, but also extremely misleading. Delusive descriptions like this can create confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search, interpret, prefer, and recall information that confirms preexisting beliefs or biases. This could prevent the European native citizens from accurately perceiving the facts or statistics regarding the refugee crisis.
How people are described or labelled in the mass media matters greatly because it can have serious consequences in terms of how people react and deal with the issue. Their labels can determine their legal status in the countries they arrive in. The use of words such as “a swarm of refugees” or “invasion” can have direct negative implications when used to describe refugees, generating fear amongst the
On Thursday, in an interview with British news station ITV, the British prime minister, David Cameron described the Syrian refugees as “a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life.” Referring anything to a swarm of something instantly creates a sense of fear for the readers or listeners. His use of use of language has been criticized and condemned by rival politicians and the Refugee Council as dehumanizing.
This irresponsible and dehumanizing choice …show more content…
In addition to dangers of traveling long distances and hazardous terrains for extended period of time, the refugees also face hostility and racism from the media. Recently in a FOX News report, the refugees were referred to as terrorists and jihadists. This is not only inaccurate and racist, but also extremely misleading. Delusive descriptions like this can create confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search, interpret, prefer, and recall information that confirms preexisting beliefs or biases. This could prevent the European native citizens from accurately perceiving the facts or statistics regarding the refugee crisis.
How people are described or labelled in the mass media matters greatly because it can have serious consequences in terms of how people react and deal with the issue. Their labels can determine their legal status in the countries they arrive in. The use of words such as “a swarm of refugees” or “invasion” can have direct negative implications when used to describe refugees, generating fear amongst the