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Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and ICE Reporting Interest: Evidence from a Large-Scale Study of Web Search Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2024

Masha Krupenkin Open the ORCID record for Masha Krupenkin [Opens in a new window] ,
Shawndra Hill Open the ORCID record for Shawndra Hill [Opens in a new window]  and
David Rothschild Open the ORCID record for David Rothschild [Opens in a new window]
Masha Krupenkin*
Affiliation:
Political Science, Boston College, 140 Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
Shawndra Hill
Affiliation:
Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
David Rothschild
Affiliation:
Microsoft Research, New York, NY, USA
*
Corresponding author: Masha Krupenkin; Email: krupenki@bc.edu
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Abstract

This paper studies whether media cues can motivate interest in reporting suspected unauthorized immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Using web search data and automated content analysis of cable news transcripts, we examine the role of media coverage on searches for how to report immigrants to ICE and searches about immigrant crime and welfare dependency. We find significant and persistent increases in news segments on crime by after Trump's inauguration, accompanied by a sharp increase in searches for how to report immigrants. We find a strong association between daily reporting searches and immigration and crime coverage. Using searches during broadcasts of presidential speeches, we isolate the specific effect of anti-immigrant media coverage on searches for how to report immigrants to ICE. The findings indicate that the media's choices regarding the coverage of immigrants can have a strong impact on the public's interest in behaviour that directly harms immigrants.

Keywords

immigrationmediaframingprejudic

Information

Type
Article
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 54 , Issue 3 , July 2024 , pp. 748 - 770
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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