Moving North: Analysis of News Representation of Central American Immigration in the U.S. and Mexico

Abstract

Through a qualitative comparative analysis, we examine how Mexican and U.S. newspapers cover the massive arrival of Central Americans in 2014 and 2016. We find that the representation of these migrants in these two countries reflects the specific characteristics of each country’s liberal media system model. In the U.S. coverage, characterized by a “Liberal" media system model that is relatively independent from government sources, the arrival of Central Americans is portrayed as a chaotic situation that overwhelmed border agencies and the immigration system. In doing so, it prevails a legacy discourse on the “illegality” of the phenomenon, highly characteristic of how U.S. media has historically depicted this population. In contrast, Mexican newspapers coverage is heavily influenced by official voices, depicting Central Americans as victims of human rights violations and as “in-transit” foreigners trying to reach the U.S. In this coverage, the government emerges as less accountable for the immigration crisis, reflecting its “Captured Liberal” media system model. By bringing together research in developed and developing nations, our comparative findings offer initial evidence about the influence of two media system models in shaping immigration news.