“In Search of a Safe Harbour” — How the Media Frames Venezuelan Migrants in Trinidad and Tobago
What shapes public opinion more than facts? The headlines.
This paper critically investigates how mainstream newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago portray Venezuelan migrants and the consequences are deeper than you might expect. Using content and discourse analysis, the author reveals how media framing either builds empathy or fuels hostility in a country grappling with a growing migrant population.
Key insights include:
- How coverage of Venezuelan migrants fluctuates between victimhood and criminality, often reinforcing negative stereotypes
- The underrepresentation of migrant voices, reducing real people to statistics or political pawns
- The media’s failure to consistently frame the issue within a human rights or humanitarian lens, despite the international crisis backdrop
- How newspaper narratives subtly reflect political interests and national security rhetoric, which shape public perception and state response
- A call to rethink the role of journalism in advancing justice, truth, and protection for displaced people
Whether you’re a media professional, policy thinker, or just a curious reader, this is a timely and powerful examination of how stories told in the press affect the lives of those who often cannot tell their own.
👉 Want to understand the true power of the press and what’s at stake when it misses the mark? This paper is essential reading.
