Rebuilding or Intruding? Media Coverage and Public Opinion on Latino Immigration in Post-Katrina Louisiana Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • ObjectivesFew studies fully integrate the interactive effects of political, geographic, and media contexts into studies of public opinion on immigration. We rectify this by utilizing the postKatrina Latino immigrant migration to Louisiana as an opportunity for study of these relationships.MethodsWe utilize survey data and content analysis of news coverage to examine the influence of news exposure on attitudes toward immigrants and immigration.ResultsExposure to immigration news influences the relative importance of immigration to other issues, selfreported personal contact with Spanishspeaking populations, and perceptions of the legal status of immigrant populations.ConclusionsLocal news coverage of immigration increases awareness and concern about immigration and heightened news exposure increases perceptions about personal interactions with Spanishspeaking populations. Additionally, local news coverage of immigration influences the importance of key characteristics of immigrant populations, particularly whether immigrants are here illegally. Tone of coverage, as opposed to amount, exerts the more consistent effect on immigrationrelated attitudes.

published proceedings

  • SOCIAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY

altmetric score

  • 0.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Dunaway, J., Goidel, R. K., Kirzinger, A., & Wilkinson, B. C.

citation count

  • 21

complete list of authors

  • Dunaway, Johanna||Goidel, Robert K||Kirzinger, Ashley||Wilkinson, Betina Cutaia

publication date

  • December 2011

publisher