La categoría inmigrante en la prensa española

Abstract

As time goes on, immigrants have become more present in Spanish society. The news and the media reflect this presence, although not always in a positive way. "Canary Islands receives more than 1,400 undocumented immigrants solely during the weekend", "Canary Islands receives a new wave of immigrants" were some of the common headlines during 2006 and 2013, within the Spanish press toward the immigrant population. These particularly articles did nothing more than point out the difference between those who belong to the Spanish society and those who do not. This study was based on knowing the way the immigrant category is built within the press. In this way, it is an introspective study, which goes from the news into the medium in which it is published, who writes it, how it is published and the way in which it is generated, either in a writing table or in ground. In the year 2006 the newspapers LA RAZÓN and EL PAIS generated more than 2000 news articles (between both media and throughout the year) on immigration. This was manifested in a context of arrivals of cayucos to the Spanish coasts and the lack of concrete action by the European Union to help manage the flow of people in Spain. The media reflected on this moment, describing every day on the so-called "phenomenon of immigration." Noted by the arrivals, the construction of the category was given repeatedly by the media and in a same line. In the year, 2013, the production of news about immigration decreased (1500 articles in all newspapers in one year) the theme of that year was, “the economic crisis”. In this crisis´s context grew the number of articles in relation to immigration that covered topics like crime and human trafficking although comparing both years, 2006 was the largest booming year. For the study we carried out the analysis of 563 news articles published in the media. Like these the participant observation in the drafting of EL PAIS and LA RAZON and a profound amount of interviews in 10 journalists from both newsrooms. The results from the study about the connection that existed in the social context are manifested in the newspaper articles. Finally, highlighting that immigration and immigrants have and will form a social immigration in Spain and the communication of media has helped to create a category through their daily description through articles. The journalists, the eternal unknown, is the ¨messenger” that we know day to day that study the way in which they produce the category in their necessary perspectives.