Livingstone warns of “inaccurate and hostile” portrayal of asylum seekers
The Mayor of London has said he is concerned by a new report showing that unbalanced reporting of asylum issues has a tangible effect on community relations within London.
The report, Media Image, Community Impact, was drawn up by the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR), who were specifically asked to consider any link between media coverage and hostility to refugees and asylum seekers.
Researchers found “clear evidence of negative, unbalanced and inaccurate reporting likely to promote fear and tension within communities across London.”
“Both abuse and the language used in incidents of harassment were found to reflect themes in press reporting, therefore suggesting a link between reporting and harassment.”
However, the ICAR notes that more research is needed to ascertain how reporting triggers hostile action.
A number of previous surveys have commented on the negative portrayal of asylum seekers in the press, but this is the first survey to actually link the impact of media coverage with incidences of harassment.
Commenting on the findings, Mr Livingstone said: ‘This research provides evidence about the impact of the media on peoples’ attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers.
“I am concerned that the report finds relentless repetition of inaccurate and hostile language in some sections of the press and frequent use of apparently factual but unsubstantiated statements about refugees and asylum seekers which are likely to give rise to fear and concern.
“As we have seen most recently certain members of the media are all too ready to whip up hysteria with inaccurate, biased reporting without a care for damage they might cause to communities throughout the country.”
The report highlights national newspapers’ reporting as particularly concerning, noting that local newspapers often have a more balanced outlook.
The ICAR recommends that the Greater London Authority sets up an independent monitoring scheme to judge newspaper complaints with Press Complaints Commission guidance on the use of language and terminology in reporting on asylum seekers.
It also suggests that it takes up examples of “relentless repetition of inaccurate and hostile descriptions with the proprietors of the newspapers which regularly print them” and introduces a standard monitoring system for racial incidents against asylum seekers and refugees.
