Representations of Syrian Refugees in Television News

Abstract

The negative perceptions of Syrian refugees have become increasingly common in Turkey particularly since it became clear that the so-called "guests" would not stay in this country for a short period of time. This public perception is closely related to their representation in the media, especially on TV, as well as other social dynamics. This essay examines the forms of representation of Syrian refugees in Turkish TV news, particularly focusing on to what extent they reproduce and reinforce the socially dominant discourse concerning the refugee crisis. For this purpose, the news bulletins on four TV channels are examined: Kanal D and Show TV, two mainstream channels owned by media conglomerates and representing "neo-liberal" ideology, Kanal 7, representing a "neo-conservative" ideology and strong religious discourses, and Halk TV with a leftist (social democratic) outlook. They are examined through Teun van Dijk's critical discourse analysis. The research demonstrates that the forms of representation of refugees on the TV channels are congruent with their ideological stances. In order to provide support for or oppose the government's policies, these channels turn the Syrian refugees into the objects of political debates in Turkey. Nonetheless, their representations of the Syrian refugees are not very different from each other in employing negative and exclusionary stereotypes.