Biased neutrality: the symbolic construction of the Syrian refugee in the New York Times

Abstract

Although the Syrian refugee crisis has received global media attention, studies exploring the representation of Syrian refugees in American media have been lacking. Using both content and critical discourse analysis methods, this paper examines the discursive constructions of Syrian refugees in the New York Times during the 2016 presidential election. The findings reveal that despite the overall “neutral” tone of media coverage, this did not negate the existence of implicit bias toward refugees. The linguistic strategies employed, though at times engaging in narratives of victimhood, result in the demarcation of Syrian refugees as “universal refugee subjects” rooted in past historical and geographical contexts. Together with an emphasis on vulnerability over agency, pernicious depictions of Syrian refugees as terrorists or political bargaining tools, and an assumption of popular resentment by the public, these seemingly disconnected discursive strategies collectively contribute to the dehumanization of Syrian refugees, with damaging implications for the case of their acceptance into American society.