The Effect of Social Media and News Channels on Public Attitudes Toward Refugees and Migrants in Host Countries: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis

The process of migration and asylum-seeking has always existed throughout history, becoming even more prominent in the past decade. With the popularity of social media and news channels as the most used sources for gathering information and following daily news, the role of these media types has become determining in how refugees and migrants are portrayed and perceived by natives who live in countries that host groups of refugees and migrants. The present study aimed to see how intergroup interaction, direct or indirect, can affect and shape attitudes toward out-groups. Also, since refugees and migrants are sometimes portrayed negatively and as political and economic threats, it can have some consequences on natives’ attitudes, especially on natives who have right-wing political affiliations, and have a labor job with job security issues. This study aimed to find relationships between having these attributes and how they perceive refugees and migrants. This study used a survey method for gathering data, that comprised a total of 221 respondents. This study focused on theoretical foundations such as the contact theory and threat perception theory and formulated four main hypotheses. After conducting the survey, the results indicated that the (positivity in) the sentiment of the direct or indirect interaction can result in more positive attitudes and reduce negative attitudes of natives towards the out-groups. On the other hand, the results also indicated that the increased frequency of portraying refugees and migrants as threats in the media is associated with more negative attitudes. This study also found that native right-wing supporters perceive higher threats from refugees, compared to migrants or both groups combined. Finally, the study found no significant relationship between having a labor job, having job security issues, and perceiving refugees and migrants individually or combined as political and economic threats. This study's findings can help policymakers legislate policies regarding immigration, employment, and social programs regarding refugees and migrants, particularly through better awareness of the in-group and out-group interaction. This study is also valuable for people in the media industry, as it delves deep into the possible impact that news channels and social media can have on forming attitudes and how media can become a determining tool in creating sentiments toward out-groups.