Yan Ting – III Seminario internacional sobre migraciones chinas en España / 3rd International Workshop on Chinese Migration in Spain

Universidad de Salamanca

News frames and immigration: an analysis of the Spanish press and media effects

The framing process occurs in two stages. The first is how to present information, and the second analyzes the effects caused by the frames in public opinion (framing effect) (De Vreese, 2003). It can influence attitudes and opinions (e.g., Druckman & Nelson, 2003; Jacoby, 2000). We analyzed news from different resources, we will use the social problem and economic contribution frames to measure the relationship with attitude (prejudice).

Integrated Threat Theory was first proposed by Walter G. Stephan and Cookie White Stephan (1996), which proposes that feeling threatened by outgroups leads to prejudice toward those groups (Stephan, Ybarra, & Morrison, 2009). Integrated Threat Theory includes realistic threats. It originates in realistic group conflict theory (LeVine & Campbell, 1972; Sheriff, 1966), which means threats to the political and economic power of the ingroup and threats to the physical or material wellbeing of the ingroup. A symbolic threat involves perceived group differences in morals, values, standards, beliefs, and attitudes. A negative stereotype is the generalization of the outgroup. Intergroup anxiety refers to the anxiety an ingroup member feels towards anticipated contact with an outgroup, stemming from expectations of discomfort or frustration an ingroup member might feel during an interaction. These threats have become a framework for understanding, explaining, and predicting prejudice and negative attitudes toward minorities (Croucher, 2013).

In this study, we will choose an available sample. This condition means Spaniard students (who have the nationality of Spain and their parents also come from Spain) from different areas of Spain. Before they see different types of news, we will measure prejudice (modern racism and subtle affective prejudice) first. Then they will see one of three different types randomly (we will use Qualtrics, an effective tool): The first news with a positive frame (economic contribution), which means related Chinese immigration to economic contribution. The second, news negative frame (cause social problems), refers to related Chinese immigration with delinquency and illegal business—the last one is a piece of random news.

This study will analyze the reception and impact of the news frames through the survey. Therefore, it will analyze different news frames and the factors such as beliefs, attitudes, the perception of threats, intergroup anxiety, emotions, modern racism, and the attempt to interact with Chinese immigrants. Beliefs about the consequences of immigration adopt in the study by Domke, McCoy, and Torres (1999). Attitudes we would use the CIS surveys on immigration (Cea D’Ancona, 2004). The realistic threat was assessed using a 10-item measure adapted from Stephan et al. (2002). The symbolic threat was created based on Stephan and colleagues (2009) definition of symbolic threat. The measure of intergroup anxiety was a modified version of the intergroup anxiety scale developed by W. G. Stephan and Stephan (1985). To assess stereotypes, a measure developed by W. G. Stephan and Stephan (1993) was employed. For modern racism, McConahay’s scale of modern racism (1986) was used.

Bio:

I studied a master’s degree in Audiovisual Communication: research and innovation at theUniversity of Salamanca. I am an associate professor of East Asia and chairman of theExternal Collaboration department of the Association of Chinese Students andResearchers in Salamanca. As a Chinese student, I pay a lot of attention to Chineseimmigration. This is also my line of research in the future.