5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The issue of migration dominates global media, yet still whose stories are told and who tells the story remains an issue. Previous research has shown that media is very powerful in shaping public discourse about migrant groups globally This session will explore what research on migration-related narratives from mass media to social media tells us about contemporary attitudes toward migration, and migrant groups’ experiences globally? What are the characteristics of the narratives across the different media channels, and the patterns that emerge? What role do media representations play in how migrants are viewed, especially in representing migrants as a threat and contributing to anti-migrant sentiments? How do groups use social media to document their experiences and potentially offer counter-narratives? How does this research lend itself to new and innovative methodological or theoretical ways of looking at contemporary migration?