530. 1(73)2001
303.64(05)530.1(73)2001
Izvomi znanstveni rad
Primljeno: 10. 12. 2003.
Prihvaceno: 03. 03. 2003.
GORAN GOLDBERGER
obi gu@yahoo. com
Portrayal of Immigrants in Newsmagazines
SUMMARY
This article analyzes how United States newsmagazines represented immigrants in the aftermath
of September 11th terrorist attacks. Methodologically, the paper uses the frame analysis from a social
constructivist standpoint, identifying the four functions of frame, as defined by Entman. Three months
prior to the attacks, newsmagazines framed immigrants as needed and, in most cases, they portra-
yed them positively. In the period after the attacks, the frame shifted and newsmagazines started re-
presenting immigrants as feared, potential harborers of terrorists, and so on. Before the attacks, ille-
gal immigrants were represented as the greatest immigration problem. After the attacks, the attention
of newsmagazines shifted to legal immigrants with terrorist intentions. The results suggest that the is-
sue of immigrants and immigration policy in the media collided with the threat of terrorism as a foreign
policy issue. Thus, it became a security issue that influenced the representation of immigrants. In news-
magazines' portrayal of immigrants, political features became more prominent than economic ones.
KEY WORDS: immigrants, U.S. newsmagazines, frame analysis, September ItI, terrorism, social con-
structivism
Introduction
The initial interest in this topic arose from my personal experience of entry in the
United States after September 11th 2001. Immigration procedures are even stricter now.
The time to obtain the necessary documents to live and work in the United States legal-
ly - like a visa, or working permit - has almost doubled when compared to the period
before that tragic event. The immigration issue has always been a topic of heated public
debate, especially after the war on terrorism was declared, and when the criticisms of
Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) were already stated.
The United States developed under the strong influence of waves of immigration
since the late 18th century. The impact of immigrants on American everyday life is well
known. One needs only to examine the cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, or, say, culina-
ry diversity of the New York City, for example, to understand it. For many immigrants,
America seems like a promised land where they are welcome and helped to overcome
the difficulties of their entry.
But when it comes to actual acceptance and treatment of immigrants, or media co-
verage of this issue in the United States, we obtain a different perception. There are a lot
of diverse responses: from the positive, which praised their contribution to the United
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