Migration Narratives and Media Framing: Effects on Policy Attitudes

Kakembo Aisha Annet

Faculty of Education, Kampala International University, Uganda
                                                                                        ABSTRACT
Migration has become one of the most debated public policy issues globally, with media narratives playing a critical role in shaping public attitudes and policy preferences. This paper examines how media framing and migration narratives influence public perceptions and attitudes toward migration policies through the lenses of Media Framing Theory and Narrative Persuasion Theory. It explores the dominant migration frames economic, security, humanitarian, and cultural and analyzes how these narratives are constructed, disseminated, and interpreted across different media environments and national contexts. The study reviews empirical evidence from content analyses, survey experiments, and comparative case studies to demonstrate that media framing significantly affects policy attitudes by influencing cognitive evaluations, emotional responses, and public discourse. It further highlights the distinct effects of textual and visual framing, the persistence of framing effects over time, and the moderating roles of political ideology, media exposure, and socio-cultural context. The paper argues that migration narratives are not neutral representations but powerful communication tools that shape democratic debate, influence public opinion, and affect policy formulation. It concludes that balanced, ethical, and evidence-based media reporting is essential for promoting informed public discourse and supporting migration policies that are responsive to humanitarian, economic, and security considerations. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, media practitioners, and researchers seeking to improve communication strategies surrounding migration and foster more informed public engagement.

Keywords: Migration narratives, Media framing, Policy attitudes, Public opinion and Narrative persuasion.

CITE AS: Kakembo Aisha Annet (2026). Migration Narratives and Media Framing: Effects on Policy Attitudes. IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 11(2):137-145.
https:/doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJAM/2026/112.137145