Abstract:

Colombia and Peru currently host the largest numbers of Venezuelan migrants. Research indicates that these migrants often face "silent discrimination" in Colombia, influenced by subtle, indirect actions frequently mediated by economic factors and stereotypes in the media, complicating their integration and acceptance. In Peru, where 1.8 million Venezuelan refugees reside, a study shows that 72% of Peruvians view these refugees negatively, primarily influenced by media portrayals; remarkably, 83% of these individuals have never personally met a refugee. Such media focus, particularly on negative aspects like security concerns, exacerbates xenophobia, fostering a sense of 'otherness' and leading to the dehumanization of these migrants as faceless threats rather than individuals with rights and dignity.

This summer, the research will focus on collecting and analyzing data using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This methodology examines the interplay between language and societal power dynamics, which is crucial for understanding how media narratives reflect and reinforce societal structures. CDA will be pivotal in dissecting how media influences public opinion and shapes societal norms, particularly in the context of Venezuelan refugees in Colombia and Peru. This approach underscores the importance of how language in media impacts readership and the prominence of certain narratives.

Introduction and Background:

Venezuelan refugees' struggles in migrating to countries like Peru highlight complexities around human rights. According to philosopher Hannah Arendt, achieving equality requires state agreements to uphold recognition and equal rights for all members (Arendt, 1965). Often, refugees are not guaranteed human rights when unrecognized by the state. Bourdieu's theory of social classification also shows how labels and categorizations shape society's views and treatment of refugees, as these labels carry biases, creating an us-versus-them divide (Bourdieu, 1986). The international and local perception of Venezuelan refugees is crucial, especially considering how media-driven xenophobic ideologies can negatively impact their livelihoods. When I stayed in Ecuador in May 2022, the country faced a national shutdown due to indigenous protests, forcing many residents to leave for neighbouring cities for food. At the beginning of my trip, a Venezuelan family came to protect us from bandits. The Venezuelans helped care for and watch over everyone, including myself. My experience made me aware of the goodwill of those enduring the refugee experience, showing how the discourses perpetuated by the media are false and harmful.

This research aims to challenge the xenophobic discrimination reinforced by mainstream media narratives by critically examining how its portrayals can dehumanize stateless individuals. One article highlights that Venezuelan migrants in Colombia experience significant discrimination through indirect methods influenced by economic factors and media stereotypes (Burgo et al., 2021). This "silent discrimination" hinders their integration and social acceptance. On the other hand, Peru, hosting 1.8 million Venezuelan refugees, faces complex challenges as the Institute of Peruvian Studies reported that 72% of Peruvians view these refugees negatively, primarily due to negative media portrayals (IEP, 2022). Interestingly, 83% of these respondents have never interacted with the refugees, indicating that their opinions are mostly based on media perceptions (IEP, 2022). When the media focuses on negative aspects, such as security concerns, it exacerbates xenophobia. It creates a sense of 'otherness', where refugees are seen as fundamentally different and separate from the host community. This leads to dehumanization, where migrants are not seen as individuals with rights and dignity but rather as faceless threats. 

Research Question:

The research question contains three components: (1) What dominant ideologies are conveyed through Al Jazeera (2) What dominant ideologies are conveyed through news outlets in Latin America (Peru and Colombia), and (3) how do these discourses about Venezuelan refugees impact social cohesion in host countries – that are portrayed in media? 

Methodology:

I will use Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) for this research to explore how language in media shapes and reflects societal power dynamics. CDA is instrumental in understanding how language can maintain and challenge power structures, particularly by examining how specific words or phrases favour one group over another, influencing who is heard and who isn't. This approach is crucial for assessing media portrayals that often mirror and mould public perception, perpetuating the views of dominant groups while marginalizing others. 

Through CDA, we will investigate whether media narratives about refugees reinforce societal biases or promote more inclusive perspectives. We will analyze whether these portrayals tend to humanize or dehumanize refugees, as they can counteract or exacerbate xenophobia.

Kate Maddelena, the Head of Research for the CCIT program and an expert in qualitative media analysis will guide this study. Her insights will be crucial for understanding how media influences social structures. We have scheduled weekly meetings for 45 minutes every Monday to discuss progress and findings. This research focuses on understanding the impact of media on readership and the prominence of certain narratives in shaping public opinion.

Training: I will start working with Kate weekly for 45 minutes in May every Tuesday. We will set an agenda every week where she will teach me the codebook of key terms for NVIVO + Atlas.ti. We will use NVIVO + Atlas. ti to develop a coding scheme (grounded theory coding). I will familiarize myself with the program for the first two weeks by writing English articles. I will use articles from Al Jazeera to understand the context I will be working with. Within the last two weeks, we will create another codebook of key terms within Spanish translation. We will then use this codebook by practicing with Spanish news articles. 

Research location: During this research, I will be based in Vietnam. I will have online access to qualitative coding programs NVIVO and Atlas.ti, which will support my analysis. I will also hold virtual weekly meetings for 45 minutes with Kate Maddelena from May to mid-July to discuss progress and insights.

REB: I will not need REB approval for this research project.

Timeline:

Week 1: I will determine the method by omitting a literature review on focused literature review on discourse analysis methods for studying news and ethnic/identity-based discrimination. By doing so, I will create a bibliography. The emphasis will be on directly engaging with the primary research materials and applying the principles of CDA. The decision to bypass a focused literature review aims to reduce the influence of pre-existing theories and biases that might shape the interpretation of data. This strategy will help identify unique or overlooked aspects within the media narratives that might not align with established academic discourse.

Week 2: I will organize and catalogue articles in an Excel spreadsheet to track details and emerging patterns. During this phase, the focus will be on sourcing articles solely from Al Jazeera, a media outlet known for its neutral political perspective, which will provide a balanced view of the topics under study. I will specifically look for articles that highlight prejudice and discrimination towards Venezuelan refugees. These articles will be marked in the Excel sheet for a later, more detailed analysis. 

I will have a set of English keywords to ensure a nuanced data collection. These will include phrases such as “discrimination faced by Venezuelan refugees,” “xenophobia Venezuelan refugees,” “Venezuelans in Colombia,” and “Venezuelans in Peru.” Using these keywords will help me retrieve articles that address various aspects of the challenges faced by Venezuelan refugees in different contexts.

Using Al Jazeera as a primary source leverages its reputed neutrality to access unbiased reporting on the Venezuelan refugee crisis. This approach is important as it helps contrast potentially biased regional reporting from Latin America with Al Jazeera's more balanced global perspective. 

Week 3: We will systematically organize the collected articles into an Excel spreadsheet to track details and discern patterns related to media portrayals of Venezuelan refugees. I will identify and mark articles that exhibit prejudice towards these refugees for a more detailed analysis later.

To build the database, I will use targeted search terms in Spanish, such as "refugiados venezolanos" (Venezuelan refugees), "discriminación venezolana" (Venezuelan discrimination), and "xenofobia venezolana" (Venezuelan xenophobia). This strategy aims to capture the local nuances of how Venezuelan refugees are discussed and portrayed in Latam media.

I will also include articles from specific publications to ensure a comprehensive collection of perspectives. For articles from Colombia, I will search sources from "La Nación," "Diario Occidente," and "The City Paper Bogotá". For articles from Peru, I will use articles from "Insight Crime," "El País," and "La Prensa". These articles can be found through Semantic Scholar, Springer, Taylor and Francis Online, Factiva, Google Scholar, and the Google search engine. Each article that fits the criteria will be added to the Excel spreadsheet. Additionally, I will save a PDF copy of each article to preserve data and prevent any issues arising from articles being removed or altered online.

Week 4: For Week 4 of the research project, the focus will shift to identifying the specific categories that contribute to the dehumanization of Venezuelan refugees found in the media. This involves conducting a structured search using umbrella terms related to dehumanization, which will be more specific search terms tailored to capture the nuance of this issue. The search will aim to uncover various sources and articles that detail or exemplify dehumanization practices or rhetoric toward Venezuelan refugees. The findings from this search will then be organized and cataloged, adding another layer of detail to our understanding of media portrayals and their impact on social perception.

Week 5: I will synthesize the news article data, categorizing articles by tone and identifying recurring patterns and diction that negatively frame Venezuelan refugees. Simultaneously, I'll analyze another set of articles to understand the effects of negative perceptions on Venezuelan refugees. This involves cross-referencing the three data sets to find correlations or discrepancies between media narratives and their impact on refugees. This comparison will help identify how specific media portrayals shape or reflect public attitudes toward refugees.

Week 6: The results of this analysis will be finalized into a report, focusing on the identified categories and interpreting findings in light of existing studies. The report will emphasize correlations or discrepancies between media narratives and their effects, highlighting the impact of media portrayals on societal perceptions of refugees and their integration into host communities.  

Potential Impact: 

This research will identify which stereotypes and biases are perpetuated – specifically on the exposure of the othering. By analyzing Venezuelan refugees' media portrayal, this study will reveal narratives and messages influencing host communities' perceptions and attitudes. It will explore subtler aspects of messaging, like language, imagery, and story framing, contributing to stereotypes and bias. The study seeks counter-narratives that humanize refugees by finding the root negative portrayals. This research project can guide the development of inclusive media campaigns focusing on positive stories and factual reporting to counteract negative stereotypes. Another critical aspect of the project will involve promoting a participatory approach in media production – specifically with media companies (in Colombia and Peru) that focus on a grass-root approach. This could be by creating a media campaign that includes the voices and stories of refugees themselves.