News narratives about migrants 'at the border' in Italian and Spanish online news media, 2013-2015

This thesis investigates the representation of African migrants in Italian and Spanish online news media through the lens of the border. By employing an interdisciplinary approach, in which the migrant crossings of the Libya-Italy and Morocco-Spain borders are a central research focus, this work explores the written and visual representations of migrants from September 2013 to August 2015. Throughout this time frame, which represents a crucial period in the long-lasting story of migration from Africa towards Europe, the analysis of online news items demonstrates that news media representations of migrants depend on the very nature of the borders that migrants attempt to cross while paralleling the institutional standpoints provided by official news sources.
Furthermore, from a cultural perspective, the research here explores the features of online news narratives as well as the role of the working practices of Italian and Spanish journalists in the production of migrant representations. It also discusses the meanings that are embedded in such news narratives. As a result, through an innovative methodological approach, which includes the analysis of online news items and interviews with journalists, this thesis provides a critical framework for the investigation of online news production and contemporary journalism more broadly.