The image of a migrant in Russian media

December 16, 2004 IA "Marketing and Consulting" published an article by Nikita Mkrtchyan "Migration and Mass Media: Real and Imaginary Threats". Despite the fact that the article was written in the summer of 2003 (and therefore the publication in the "Topic of the Day" section cannot but cause surprise), the relevance of this work has not only not decreased, but rather even increased.

The article is devoted to how the migration process is presented in the Russian media. Analyzing a significant array of publications, reports, statements of politicians, etc., devoted to the topic of migration, the author comes to the disappointing conclusion that "everyone who at least from time to time looks into newspapers and listens to news programs" has the impression that "the latest For two or three years, migration in Russia has become one of the main threats to its security." Such coverage of a natural and, most importantly, vital process for Russia leads to the formation of migrant-phobia, "thickly mixed with nationalism and intolerance" .

Techniques for manipulating consciousness are simple and have long been known. Among them are incorrect quoting, television editing, "authoritative" statements by politicians and officials, and so on. simple tricks. And now, in the minds of Russians, a very specific "juicy image of a migrant" is being formed: a young "Caucasian" is a nouveau riche and a bandit .

A simple analysis of any anti-migrant article, a xenophobic statement by a politician or an "official" assessment for a more attentive consumer of information will inevitably reveal either a direct lie, or extreme incompetence, or a direct selfish interest of the speaker, and often all together. However, the wave of anti-immigrant xenophobic publications is so intense that this analysis, like any competent discussion on this issue, is extremely difficult: "Supporters of the "protective" and "liberal" strategies exist, as it were, in parallel worlds, rarely touching each other. All this is counterproductive and does not contribute to the search for truth. Until we learn how to competently and correctly, with facts in hand, discuss serious problems in the fields of politics, economics, ecology, demography, migration, myths and phobias will be born in society, chimeras of mass consciousness will multiply .

Sources

• Mkrtchyan Nikita. Migration and the Media: Real and Imaginary Threats // IA "MiK". 2004. December 16.
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