HCIAS Blogcast: Diversity and Objectivity in Migration Coverage

Welcome to a new Blogcast This is a series of posts on the HCIAS blog where we summarize some of the key points from our most recent podcast episode. This week’s podcast is an entry in the HCIAS Young Researcher Series, in which doctoral researcher Natalia Messer Molina is interviewed by HCIAS Publications coordinator Marian Orjuela about her project investigating Diversity and Objectivity in Migration Coverage: A Comparative Study of Legacy and Native Digital Media in Chile. The transcript below has been edited for clarity and concision.

Marian: I’d like to start by asking you about your research on digital media in Chile and the coverage of migration issues. Could you briefly describe your work?

Natalia: Thank you again for the invitation. It’s great to have the opportunity to talk about my research and potentially get some feedback. My research focuses on media and journalism, and my motivation stems from my experience as both a journalist and a media researcher. Currently, I’m conducting a comparative study of two types of media: legacy media and digital native media. Legacy media refers to traditional outlets like newspapers, television, and radio that were initially non-digital. Digital native media, by contrast, are platforms created specifically for digital use, with no prior existence in traditional formats. The goal of my research is to compare how these two types of media cover migration, specifically focusing on diversity and objectivity. I aim to determine whether digital native media provides more diverse and unbiased coverage compared to legacy media in Chile.

Marian: Objectivity and diversity can be complex topics. How do you approach these concepts in your research?

Natalia: I’m aware that diversity and objectivity are complex and widely discussed in media studies literature. For diversity, I use the concept of framing—the idea that the more frames a media outlet presents, the greater the diversity in its coverage. For objectivity, I analyze the tone and historical context in migration coverage. While objectivity is a debated concept in academia, there’s enough methodological literature to operationalize it effectively.

Marian: Framing is central to your research, but it might not be familiar to everyone. Could you explain what frames are and how they connect to diversity?

Natalia: Certainly. Frames are perspectives or ways of presenting and interpreting reality. They include different voices, opinions, and descriptions of events. In my study, I use six generic frames often found in migration coverage, as conceptualized by scholars like Semetko, Valkenburg, and Roggeband.And each of these frames represents a way to conceptualize the migration phenomena. These frames are conflict, human interest, economic consequences, responsibility, multiculturalism, and restriction. For instance, the economic consequences frame might highlight how migrants contribute to a country’s economy, while the restriction frame might focus on the need for stricter border controls. Each frame reflects a specific way of conceptualizing migration issues. By analyzing the presence of these frames, I assess the diversity in media coverage.

Marian: What is your day-to-day work on this project like? What methods do you use, and what stage are you at?

Natalia: I’m conducting a quantitative content analysis, comparing the two types of media based on numerous variables. For example, I count how many times specific frames appear in legacy and digital native media. Right now, I’m in the coding stage, collaborating with a student from a Chilean university. We’ve developed a clear coding process and are conducting an intercoder reliability test to ensure consistency. For this, both coders independently analyze 10% of the sample—100 articles each—and compare results. I’ve collected articles from 2021–2022, using archives for legacy media and digital platforms, like X, for digital native media. After coding, I’ll export the data to SPSS for analysis, which is both exciting and challenging.

Marian: What challenges have you faced as a doctoral researcher?

Natalia: Time management has been a significant challenge, as it is for many doctoral students. It’s important to stay flexible because research evolves constantly. Early on, I struggled with using SPSS, as I had limited knowledge of data analysis software. However, I’ve since become more comfortable with it and find the field of data analysis fascinating. I think quantitative and mixed-method studies are becoming increasingly important in the social sciences and should be explored more.

Marian: What contribution to academia and society do you hope your research will make?

Natalia: I hope my research raises new questions about how media frames important issues like migration and how it shapes public opinion. The way media uses frames often aligns with specific ideologies, and understanding this is crucial. I also aim to contribute to discussions on objectivity in journalism—a topic that remains highly relevant. Beyond academia, I believe this research could benefit journalists and media professionals by encouraging reflection on their work and its societal impact. Migration is a sensitive topic, and the media’s portrayal of it has significant consequences. New generations of journalists should consider how their reporting shapes public understanding.

Marian: Your research focuses on Chile. Why is migration and its media representation important in that context?

Natalia: It’s interesting because migration wasn’t a significant issue in Chile until the 2010s, but it has since become a prominent topic, especially in politics. It’s now part of the political agenda, with migration policies frequently debated in the media. This growing relevance motivated me to study migration coverage. As part of the HCIAS, it’s important for me to focus on issues that are significant in the Ibero-American context. And I’m also from Chile, so it’s something that, you know, is related to my country, where I was born. So, yeah, that was part of the decision.

Marian: Are there any connections you can draw between your research in Latin America and studies on migration coverage in Europe or the United States?

Natalia: It’s hard to compare what is happening in Germany, Europe, or the United States with what is happening in Chile because those are different kinds of migrations. The migration we are experiencing in Chile is mostly people from within the region, from Latin America. Historically, at the beginning of the 18th century, Chile experienced migration from Europe—most migrants came from Germany, Britain, and Italy. But now it has changed, and we see different migration patterns. In my case, I’m using frames that have been applied to European press coverage, but establishing direct comparisons between different countries can be really hard. I might focus on border areas, like Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, because those countries share more similarities. However, one positive aspect is that the literature provides enough generic frames, which are very helpful for my research.

One thing I’d like to add is that although I had the possibility to use specific frames, I decided to go with the generic ones. This approach has been done before, and in science, you often build on existing references. This is not exploratory research. In the case of European press coverage, for example, you often see frames related to religion because migration there involves populations with diverse religious backgrounds. But in Chile, where migration is mostly within Latin America, there are many cultural similarities. Migrants often speak Spanish, and there aren’t many religious differences. So, the way we analyze migration in Chile is completely different.

Marian: Finally, Natalia, looking to the future, what are your plans after your PhD?

Natalia: For sure, I’d like to continue my academic research in the media field. I think it would be very interesting to expand my focus to include political science, which I find fascinating. I’d like to stay in the media field but perhaps analyze other topics. The way the world is currently operating raises many questions for me, and I believe my research could grow in both scope and relevance to current affairs.

It would also be interesting to increase the sample size. Right now, I’m analyzing 1,009 articles, but I’d like to use other statistical software to analyze migration phenomena in other Latin American countries. As I mentioned earlier, Chile is a good example, but migration is an issue across the region. This ongoing phenomenon has become a significant part of the political agenda for politicians in the region. You see it on television, digital platforms—it’s well-discussed and part of political debates. We’ll soon have presidential elections, and migration is always a question from journalists. I’m also eager to collaborate with other peers, colleagues, and institutions. I think this would be really beneficial for my career and would allow me to expand my knowledge and research further.

Marian: Natalia, thank you very much for being here.

Natalia: Thank you for the opportunity, and yeah, have a nice day.

Marian: You’ll have to come back when you finish your project and share your findings with us.

Natalia: For sure! When I have the results, I’ll be happy to explain more about them and maybe share them with you on this podcast. Why not? We can discuss whether legacy media or native digital media are using certain frames more frequently.

Marian: Looking forward to it! Thank you again, and thank you to all our listeners. Remember to follow us on social networks, and hasta la próxima!

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Since 2022, Natalia Messer Molina has been pursuing her doctoral studies at the HCIAS under the supervision of Junior Professor Pablo Porten-Che with funding from the Landesgraduiertenförderungsprogramm of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Natalia holds a degree in Social Communication from Universidad Católica de Concepción in Chile and a Master of Arts in International Media Studies from Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and the University of Bonn. Her doctoral thesis is titled Diversity and Objectivity in Migration Coverage: A Comparative Study of Legacy and Native Digital Media in Chile.

 

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