The Diaspora and the Transnational Experience. Media Coverage Practices in the Romanian Media

The study analyses the media coverage practices concerning the “new diaspora”– the migration of the Romanian workforce in the countries of the European Union. Themain research question relates to how the media builds the image of the migrant, aswell as of the emerging forms in which the diaspora presents itself: is the diaspora a“distant” phenomenon (eventually recovered within a policy-media agenda) or, on thecontrary, does the press propose varied and nuanced images of the migrant condition,approaching this theme as a public issue? In other words, what forms of “moraldistance” does the media build with respect to the Romanians who work abroad? Byapplying content analysis combined with discourse analysis with respect to two nationaldaily newspapers, the study shows that the press “defines” the diaspora as an abstractreality, in a sketchy presentation of idealized characters vs. negative characters. Assuch, the media establishes an imagery of compassion and benevolent attention – anexterior reality of the national public. The media discourse does not point out theparticularities of the diasporic experience in the context of the various types of mobility.