Discursive blame attribution strategies in migration news frames: How blame for perceived migration-related problems is mediated in journalistic framing

Abstract

Public debates are rife with overt blame attributions—the explicit assignment of moral responsibility for problems in society to individuals and groups. The present study develops a framework for identifying discursive blame attribution strategies in the journalistic mediation of problems through the use of causality construction, which enables an understanding of how blame is attributed implicitly. I draw on a qualitative and quantitative discourse analysis of migration frames to distinguish three types of perceived migration-related problems: security-based, economic, and cultural. I make a further distinction based on whether these problems are causally explained by: (1) reference to migrants’ alleged culture and religion or (2) the socioeconomic conditions they experience in the recipient country. The study advances our understanding of blame attribution by drawing attention to the subtle ways groups are held responsible for problems in society through journalistic mediation processes and how context influences mediated blame attribution.