Lucy Rose Coren, author of Victimhood and the politics of representation on the migrantvoice blog, was traveling from Calais to Dover with members who volunteered at a camp. One of the members explained that men and women on the camp are resilient and depicted differently through media. Images of refugees make them look miserable and suffering (which they are), but they are optimistic and hopeful which the images do not capture. Coren states that, “By reducing the state of refugees simply to that of “victim”, we are disempowering them and ultimately harming any chance of change in our understanding and acceptance.” Our own representation of refugees limits migrants to represent themselves and have a voice. In doing so, we assume that because migrants seem hopeless and stuck we believe they also feel that way. This bias leads some people to believe that they will not work hard, they’ll slack off because they will always be miserable. …show more content…
It dehumanizes migrants, often suggesting that refugees are responsible for societal problems. Increased crime to issues with healthcare, refugees are depicted as a problem through media. However, not all media is negative, some refugees can benefit from it. Such as, when the father lost his child at sea, it took over media for several days with people showing gratitude and wanting to help. With terms such as “illegal” or “unsafe”, finding safety and a better opportunity is difficult for incoming migrants and refugees. Media influences the climate of fear communities feel, and as Coren would say, it is ruining the way we understand and accept