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Chapter 8. Representations of Eastern Europeans in the UK in reader comments of two British online newspapers

  • Małgorzata Paprota
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Representing the Other in European Media Discourses
This chapter is in the book Representing the Other in European Media Discourses

Abstract

This chapter examines a sample of reader comments on parallel articles from two online quality dailies published in the UK at different points in 2014, telegraph.co.uk and theguardian.com, concerning the post-2004 migration from Eastern European countries to the UK. Remaining within critical discourse studies, in particular the discourse-historical approach, it sets out to analyse the representations of Eastern Europeans “below the line,” ie., in reader comments. The chapter finds that while Eastern European immigrants tend to be represented as problematic in what is a predominantly utilitarian frame of reference, these representations intersect with a problematisation of UK’s position in the EU and arguably externalise anxieties caused by the precarious economic situation in the UK.

Abstract

This chapter examines a sample of reader comments on parallel articles from two online quality dailies published in the UK at different points in 2014, telegraph.co.uk and theguardian.com, concerning the post-2004 migration from Eastern European countries to the UK. Remaining within critical discourse studies, in particular the discourse-historical approach, it sets out to analyse the representations of Eastern Europeans “below the line,” ie., in reader comments. The chapter finds that while Eastern European immigrants tend to be represented as problematic in what is a predominantly utilitarian frame of reference, these representations intersect with a problematisation of UK’s position in the EU and arguably externalise anxieties caused by the precarious economic situation in the UK.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Media representations of the “other” Europeans 1
  4. Part I. Othering as political and media practice
  5. Chapter 1. Orbán’s Hungary 25
  6. Chapter 2. Togetherness or othering? 55
  7. Chapter 3. The European “stranger” in Le Monde ’s headline discourse 81
  8. Chapter 4. Profiling of new Europeans in the British conservative press 103
  9. Chapter 5. Construing the Other 121
  10. Chapter 6. Discursive legitimation of criminalization and victimization of sub-Saharan immigrants in Spanish El País and ABC newspapers 135
  11. Part II. Othering as interpersonal and interactional practice
  12. Chapter 7. Negotiating an identity 157
  13. Chapter 8. Representations of Eastern Europeans in the UK in reader comments of two British online newspapers 183
  14. Chapter 9. Othering others 207
  15. Chapter 10. The othering of Roma migrants in British and Czech online news discussion forums 235
  16. Chapter 11. The Roma as ultimate European minority and ultimate outsider? 259
  17. Chapter 12. Othering in Estonian online discussions about refugees 281
  18. Contributors 305
  19. Index 309
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.74.09pap

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Media representations of the “other” Europeans 1
  4. Part I. Othering as political and media practice
  5. Chapter 1. Orbán’s Hungary 25
  6. Chapter 2. Togetherness or othering? 55
  7. Chapter 3. The European “stranger” in Le Monde ’s headline discourse 81
  8. Chapter 4. Profiling of new Europeans in the British conservative press 103
  9. Chapter 5. Construing the Other 121
  10. Chapter 6. Discursive legitimation of criminalization and victimization of sub-Saharan immigrants in Spanish El País and ABC newspapers 135
  11. Part II. Othering as interpersonal and interactional practice
  12. Chapter 7. Negotiating an identity 157
  13. Chapter 8. Representations of Eastern Europeans in the UK in reader comments of two British online newspapers 183
  14. Chapter 9. Othering others 207
  15. Chapter 10. The othering of Roma migrants in British and Czech online news discussion forums 235
  16. Chapter 11. The Roma as ultimate European minority and ultimate outsider? 259
  17. Chapter 12. Othering in Estonian online discussions about refugees 281
  18. Contributors 305
  19. Index 309
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