The Racialization of Syrian Refugees in Jordanian and Turkish Media

This paper examines media narratives surrounding Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey, exploring how othering occurs in news discourse despite shared religious and cultural backgrounds between refugees and host populations. The analysis focuses on how mainstream newspapers in both countries construct and reinforce differences, even when refugees share significant traits with locals.

Through discourse analysis of newspaper content, the study reveals that uncertainty and contradiction are common features in media representations of Syrian refugees. These contradictory portrayals, however, do not preclude the othering of refugees. The research introduces the concept of "inclusive othering," where media narratives simultaneously depict Syrians as brothers and sisters with shared Arab or Muslim identities, while also portraying them as a threatening mass whose displacement implies moral inferiority compared to their hosts.

This complex representation challenges simplistic assumptions about shared cultural traits facilitating integration. The study finds that media discourse can intensify efforts to construct difference, even in contexts of cultural proximity. Newspapers often seek alternative ways to distinguish refugees from host populations, resulting in exacerbated group boundaries.

The paper highlights the nuanced dynamics of media representation, particularly in contexts where traditional markers of difference may not be immediately apparent. By examining these media narratives, the research contributes to a broader understanding of how racial, ethnic, and cultural differences are produced and maintained in public discourse, even in seemingly homogeneous cultural contexts. This analysis sheds light on the power of media in shaping public perceptions of refugees and influencing the process of othering in host societies.