UK Media: Guardian and Independent Portray Asylum Seekers - Case Study Example

UK Media: Guardian and Independent Portray Asylum Seekers Introduction During the last decade, the asylum system has experienced a severe breakdown of trust from all sides in the after a rising and then falling in the number of people who seek asylum in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom government has formed legislation that can enable them to minimize people who enter the United Kingdom to seek for asylum. However, this legislation have made very hard for those who claim asylum, apply and also have their cases to heard in a fair manner. Most of the asylums no longer have trust in the system's capability in delivering a fair hearing. This is because of inadequacy of the law that can support the system, inaccurate translation and making of decisions that are of poor quality. The asylum system failed to encourage those who refused asylum seekers, and, for this reason, this has forced the seekers into illegality and destitution. On the hand, the members of the public have also lost confidence in the asylum system, and they believe that it is too open to abusive, yet their comprehending on the problem is very little. In summary, immigration and asylum issues have many controversies in the areas of debate and public policy (Finney, 2003). In addition, formation of the policy and public are not served up to best due to inaccuracy of coverage by the media coverage that is unfair and misleads as well. Those who seek asylum and refuge due to fleeing conflicts and from being persecuted are attacked, in the United Kingdom, as well as the communities identified with them. However, alarming media coverage is blamed because they validate and encourage such attacks. The media and politicians polarized views made informed and balanced debate almost impossible (Finney, 2004). In the month of October, 2003 the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) gave a guiding note to journalist and editors. They warned them of the risks that inaccurate, misleading or distorted reporting can generate the atmosphere that is full of hostility and fear. They term such conducts as breaching of Clause one of the industries Code of Practice. For this reason, this research would focus on how media houses, the guardian and independent, portrait asylum seekers on their publication dated 26th January, 2015. Further, the report would attempt to focus on past analysis by scholars on how the independent and guardian monitor and report refugees and asylum seekers. Even from the time Complaints Commission Guidance Note on Reporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers was introduced in the month of October, 2003. Review of Relevant Literature Overview of Asylum Seekers United Kingdom had been experiencing a rise in asylum applications, and they dealt with the problems in a way that was good. However, despite all these population there was negative portray by the UK media and this sparked complaints by the public sector. However, it doesn’t meanUK government is soft regarding the issue of deporting people as a matter of fact they recorded high number of Asylum refusal. The main idea behind this is adopting integrated approaches that recognize those who seek asylum cannot be controlled in a bureaucratic manner. For this reason, this increases their flexibility system hence informed and empowered refugees (Negrine, 1994). Asylum in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom has had a culture of providing asylum. Currently, the issue of asylum in the United Kingdom is controlled by international legislation. The United Kingdom is a signatory member of the United Nation Convention that relates to the 1967 protocol, Status of Refugees 1951, t, and the Europe Conventions on Human Rights 1950. More recently, the UK has signed EU directives that are intended to facilitate a Common European Asylum System. In addition, those who sought for asylum in the United Kingdom and globally rose tremendously during the year 1990s and early part of 2000 Annual asylum applicants in the United Kingdom was approximated to be 46,005 in 1998, 80,320 in 2000, and peaked at 84,135 in the year 2002. However, from the year 2002 the numbers have dropped significantly, in 2004 there were only 33,940 applicants and the trend is assumed to go down further. This is because the worldwide trends were reported to drop in the number of asylum seekers. Globally, for the four consecutive years, to 9.4 million in the year 2004, a fall of about 24% in the last four years was realized. This was connected to a decrease in the number of major armed conflicts globally. The decrease in numbers asylum seekers in the United Kingdom is also due to United Kingdom European policies and government (UNHCR, 2005). Since the beginning of 1990s, governments that followed responded to the rise of refugees by introduction of legislation that targeted to control the flowing and reduce the asylum seekers intake. They also sought to fulfill their duties of offering protection to refugees under the 1951 United Nation Convention. In addition, the European Common Asylum Policy imposed control measures that intended to restrict the movement of asylum seekers between European nations (UNHCR, 2006). Asylum Trend in United Kingdom Significant measures have been made to minimize pulling factors that attract people to come to the United Kingdom to seek asylum. However, there is no simpler relationship between the support condition in the United Kingdom and the decision to seek asylum. The increasing tight controls of UK borders have not been an effective tool to minimize numbers of asylum seekers and this in-discriminative made genuine asylum seeker hard as well. It has been pointed that the reasons as to why people select United Kingdom to seek asylum points to family ties and colonial links. Also, a belief in UK having a Judicial system that is fair as the key factor for choosing Britain to claim asylum. It is not even anything to do with neither employment opportunities nor knowledge of the welfare system. Despite this, misguided attempts to minimize pulling factors for refugees' applicants have resulted in policy that withholds accessibility to important services, such as healthcare, from refused asylum seekers (Nyers, 1999). Causes of Number of Asylum Fluctuation Although the causes of fluctuation in numbers of Asylum application to the United Kingdom over the previous ten years are very complex, it is clear that they are mainly worldwide. There is a relationship between the highest number of asylum seekers and nations that faces war or they are oppressed politically. For instance, the top 4 people who were seeking asylum in the year 2002 were mainly from Iraq, Zimbabweans, and Somalia and Afghanistan. In addition, the scenario was not peculiar to the United Kingdom (Eriksson & Wallenstein, 2004). This surely dispels the myth that United Kingdom domestic incentives are the key attracting factors for people coming to the United Kingdom. Also, that creates a harsh experience has had much effect the other way (Statham, 2003). Challenges facing Asylum System in United Kingdom The biggest challenges with the incumbent United Kingdom asylum system relate to the way that finance and accommodation support is withheld instantly after negative decisions have been reached the claim of asylum. However, despite being some statutory support given, majority of refugees in such scenario decides to go underground and practice activities that are very illegal. For instance, being a prostitute and destitution instead of accepting the support given with the conditions of returned voluntary being attached. The exact number of destitute refused asylum seekers is unknown. However, the British Red Cross is estimating that at least 25,000 destitute asylum seekers are staying on Red Cross food parcels in the United Kingdom (Kleiner, 1998). In addition, the faith-based and voluntary organizations have come in to fill the gap by providing a life-line to the majority of these asylum seekers who are vulnerable. Their professionalism, dedication and compassion to the plight of this individual have saved many asylum seekers from starving, illness and committing suicide. However, they are not able to receive funds from any statutory to offer support to refused asylum seekers; for this reason, they are left stretching to almost a point of breaking. Asylum seekers are not entitled to any paid employment. This is not only destroying an individual’s mentality, but also de-skilling professionals who are motivated and qualified employees who could contribute to the UK economy and pay their way (Lewis, 2005). Research Methodology The study would use a case study. It is a terminology for a group of carrying out research that have in common the decision to focus on inquiry around a specific instance or event. One of the important merits of this method is that it assists the researcher with good understanding of how asylum seekers are portrait by the two media houses. In addition, it would apply a qualitative approach. Information obtained is not numerical and can include responses to an open-ended survey question, focus group discussion, a term paper, the answer to essay questions, or brainstorming ideas by individuals. This method of research data analysis is not restricted to words, however, and could involve the content of a design portfolio or art. One merit of the qualitative approach is that information that is contextual is gathered when the data is collected. In other words, why is automatically provided in the data that is available. Another advantage is that those who respond are free to answer any manner they would wish. However, they are not restricted by set of possible answers as they might be in the questionnaire. Respondent gives answers freely, and information would be automatically embedded in their response. Unfortunately, a qualitative approach often consumes a lot of time can take a long time during collection and analysis of the data. For example, it would take 10 hours or more to have hour-long interviews with ten people, and that does not involve the time required to carry out the interviews, analyze as well as summarize the data. And, because there is the linkage between cost and time, qualitative approach seem to be more expensive. Discourse analysis was used to examine portraying of asylum seekers by the UK media. The data compiled from the media comprised all reports published January 26th, 2015 that contained any information about asylum seeker. The two newspapers sampled were the guardian and the independent. Discussion and Analysis of Data Collected Context of a regulated minimum standard: Asylum seekers were portrait as a newsworthy by the two United Kingdom press. This was particularly true for the highest circulation national dailies. The articles about asylum from these newspapers made up a third of all those found in the national papers and a quarter of those found in the sample as a whole. This is the equivalent of about one per day for the nationals, two or three a week for the regionals and less than one a week for the minority/faith papers. Majority of the articles assessed applied terms that are not accurate through analysis of the content exercise. The articles that were selected for investigation for possible breaches of the Editors' Code Almost 12 articles of the total contained inaccurate terms, such as ‘illegal asylum seekers’ (Morrison, 2004). Additionally, the articles that were singled out were analyzed for the possibility of mixing of comments, conjecture, and the fact. For instance, it was noticed that there were statistics that had been misused as well as details that had claims that were misinterpreted, and misleading facts quotes. The researcher also raised questions on articles that had breached the Editors' Code regarding discrimination by referring to someone's immigration status that was unnecessary in any case (Mehan, 1997). There was also usage of language that was very inflammatory. However, there was no tangible evidence that a particular ethnic group, religion or nationality was the targeted by the hostile coverage. However, the study found imbalances on gender and evidences of unnecessary reference to a person’s immigration status. Also, some headlines and letters gave reason for concern. Some editors were not clear about the differences between immigration and asylum and it seems editors need guidance and clarification (Buchanan, 2001). The UK Government made announcement that from 26 January any asylum seekers were required to make new claims regardless of where they are based in the country. They are supposed to book an appointment and travel to Liverpool.The newspapers reported that “The Home Office," wrote a letter to all faith-based organization that is working with asylum seekers and the key idea is that they intended to provide effective services. In reality, as portrayed by the media houses it is intended to make the process hard for those seeking for asylum so that they can give up. The papers reported that in recent years, for instance, hundreds of asylum seekers from Zimbabwe were forced to seek fresh claim. This was following new assessments by the immigration courts of the reality picture of abuse by the Mugabe government. For the majority of lesbian and gay asylum seekers, fresh claims were important because the Supreme Court ruled that the basis on which their earlier claims had been decided was unlawful. Both the two newspapers in the past, actively dehumanized asylum seekers, with boat people and detainee being the most commonly applied terminologies when describing asylum seekers. Extreme statements have been made for example being referred to as bastards (Maiden & Duffy, 2002), and this seems to be more dehumanizing. In addition, the temporal consistency manifestation content of the articles in the two newspapers studied was also quite the same. (Dunn & Mahtani, 2001). Although the media used more sympathetic terminologies towards refugees and asylum seekers, the data presented here indicate that the news media's portrayal of asylum seekers was problematically, and it was negatively reported. This was noticed both in relations to the evaluative of newspaper articles and the terminology used. Factors likely to have contributed to the negativity of both newspapers include bad news focus, a lack of contextualization of information and relying on official sources of information(MacCallum, 2002). Such fresh claims made by the UK government were the only way for refugee and asylum seekers to have accessibility to financing support from the home office. To prevent people who make claims by requiring destitute asylum seekers and refugee to get means of traveling to Liverpool from any place they are was a strategy to minimize budget of asylum support. However, by doing so, the UK government cutting its fiscal budget is an attempt in ignoring the cost of human as portrait by the newspapers. In addition, to the analysis discussed above, the study examined a more general reporting of asylum. For instance, the study sought to understand the two papers covered considered whether coverage was informative, well sourced and contextualized. Also, whether it fairly represented the views and experiences of the subjects. Also, whether it avoided generalized, unspecific and unclear allegations that can inspire hostility; and how far it reflected balanced report, so that does not undermine Asylum seekers integration. This part of the study found out that the most similar theme of asylum-related headlines was policy, and these two newspapers article illustrated a preoccupation with removal rather than integration or humanitarian issues. The missing factor was much investigative report to look out the other sides of the story and in a deeper manner. However, leader of the Conservative party leader Michael Howard's suggestion to restrict asylum seekers were widely covered with the newspapers, as was the Government’s new five-year plan to control immigration. Reporting of the latter focused on plans to raise the removal of refused asylum seekers. In terms of balance, the sampling included a range of opinions, but more attention was paid to anti-asylum and anti-immigration views than ones that are supportive. This trend was observed in a clear manner in the two papers dailies. This is in contrast to the overall sample of national, regional and faith-based newspapers that emphasized in describing the asylum as in a chaotic state and probably out of control. In comparison to the minority newspaper, it did not report about lax border controls or excessive control by the European Union. Community safety and crime stories are featured in the articles of the two newspapers. Crime coverage alone had little attention in the faith press. In the two newspapers discussed in this study paid more coverage to the asylum and refugees’ harassment as well as terrorism (Zetter & Martin, 2000). One new coverage aspect was the significance of how asylum seekers would contribute to the arts. Stories about asylum contribution formed significant percentage. It was in a larger proportion than even information about Howard’s suggestion of changing the system of asylum. The perception of refugees and asylum seekers as professionals, educated, and skilled contributors to society development or preparing to contribute' was found to be a common theme. In the two newspapers, it outweighed the most dominant expressed hostile views (Mollard, 2001). In other days, it the theme of the newspapers focused on individual asylum seekers or refugees. This is seen as an important ways of increasing understanding of how attitudes and policies affect real people. The other newspapers featured slight more of this kind of story than the sample as a whole. Lastly, new themes emerging from this analysis were the use of jokes, and these can be seen as being hostile towards asylum and refugees seekers. Another component use of the letters and this shows predominant hostility or being uninformed. Ethical Consideration McCallum (1994) stated that there are ethical issues that should be put into consideration when conducting a research study: anonymity and confidentiality were considered in carrying out this study. This study involved informants on a voluntary basis with no coercive approaches being employed. The researcher observed the free will of the respondents. To further delimit this shortcoming, the researcher fully disclosed the purpose of this study and offered any assistance needed in giving feedback so as to encourage a higher rate of participation. The respondents’ identities were protected to the best of the researcher’s ability. This was guaranteed as there was no provision for identification of the respondent on the interview guides where information was provided on a voluntary basis only. No form of identity that could jeopardize the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants were captured. Conclusion In conclusion, the study found out that while asylum and refuge seeking continue to receive a lot of coverage by the media, some of their reports are still harsh to asylum and refuge. There were a number of articles that would be of more concern under terms of the Press Complaints Commission Guidance Note and Editors' Code. Besides the two key newspapers analyzed by the study, faith-based newspapers portrayed refugees and asylum seekers as people with potential and they are educated, professionals, and have skills that can contribute to community development. In overall, the coverage of politics appeared not to be balanced and emphasizing on asylum chaos instead of protection is mostly having an impact on the perception of the public. However, some articles on the two newspapers were found to report language that is inflammatory, hostile, inaccurate information, as well as confused facts and comments. Having assumption that the majority of people read only one or two newspapers, if reports that are hostile are concentrated in the newspaper publications, most likely can have a severe impact. Especially if the newspaper readers failed to question the content contained in the newspaper. The analysis also noticed a contrast in reports between the different types of papers apart from the ones analyzed. For instance, it was noticed that low standards, of reporting with combination of views that are strongly held, were concentrated in the most popular newspapers. Therefore, it can be assumed that report that met the higher standard may not reach the majority of readers (Brindle, 1999). In addition, from analysis of the newspapers it can be noted that there are new types of information and themes in the way refugee and asylum issues are relayed. Quite a number of news that were covered portrait asylum’ contribution to the arts, while there were fewer favours referenced to asylum in readers’ letters and jokes. Other studies show that the media showed evidence of some self-criticism, analyzing rivals’ or its coverage of asylum issues. While the study contains less hostile reports, the legacy of previous hostile reports shows its influence on the current political concern with control and chaos (British Council, 2001). In summary, the study indicates that further improvements could be made in the manner in which asylum is portrait. Suggestions are that giving encouragement to refugees and asylum seekers to have integration into political life would result in the UK media being well-informed about refugees’ problems. It can be noted that inaccurate information or hostile press reports would affect current asylum system in the United Kingdom. It could also cause harm and questioning of how effective is the current system of self-regulation. For this reason, report failure or inaccurate reporting would blind readers to the realities of living as asylum seeker or refugee. A more balanced and fulsome image on asylum and refugees would be achieved through a more proactive and innovative approach to newspapers reporting. References Brindle, D., (1999). ‘Media Coverage of Social Policy: a Journalist’s Perspective’, in Bob Franklin (ed.) Social Policy,the Media and Misrepresentation, London: Routledge British Council (2001). Journeys in Between: a Forum on the Role of the Arts in the Integration of Asylum Seekers, London: The British Council Buchanan, S. (2001). What’s the Story? Sangatte: A Case Study of Media Coverage of Asylum and Refugee Issues, London: Article 19 Eriksson, M., & Wallenstein, P., (2004). Patterns of Major Armed Conflicts 1990-2003, Stockholm: International Peace Research Institute Finney, N., (2003). The Challenge of Reporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers, London: ICAR Finney, N. (2004) Asylum Seeker Dispersal: Public Attitudes and Press Portrayals around the UK, Ph.D. thesis, University of Wales Swansea Kleiner, B. (1998). ‘The Modern Racist Ideology and its Reproduction in Pseudo Argument, Discourse and Society, Vol. 9(2), 187-215. Lewis, M. (2005). Asylum: Understanding public attitudes: London Mehan, H., (1997). ‘The Discourse of the Illegal Immigration Debate: A Case Study of the Politics of Representation. Discourse and Society, 8(2), 249-270 Mollard, C., (2001) Asylum: The truth behind the headlines, Oxford: Oxfam Morrison, L., (2004) Guidelines for Journalists on Proper Coverage of Refugee-related Topics, London: Amnesty International. Negrine, R., (1994). Politics and the mass media in Britain, London: Routledge Nyers, P., (1999). ‘Emergency or Emerging Identities. Refugees and Transformations in World Order’, Millennium, 28(1), 1-26 Statham, P., (2003). ‘Understanding the Anti-Asylum Rhetoric: Restrictive Politics or Racist Publics. Political Quarterly, 74(1), 163–177. UNHCR (2005). UNHCR issues UK Asylum Report as Numbers Plummet, http://www.unhcr.org. Accessed, January 25th, 2015. UNHCR (2006). 2005 Global Refugee Trends, Geneva: UNHCR Zetter, R., &Martyn P., (2000). ‘The Minority within the Minority: Refugee Community-Based Organizations in the UK and the Impact of restrictions on Asylum-Seekers’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 26(4), 675-697 Dunn, K.M. and Mahtani, M. 2001, ‘Media Representations of Ethnic Minorities’, Progress in Planning, 55(3), pp. 163–72. Maiden, S. and Duffy, M. 2002, ‘Teenager in Failed Hanging Attempt’, the Guardian, 30 January, p. 5. MacCallum, M. 2002, ‘, the Refugees and the Politics of Fear', Quarterly Essay, no. 5, pp. 1–73. Read More