Migration on digital news platforms: Using large-scale digital text analysis and time-series to estimate the effects of socioeconomic data on migration content

Abstract The way digital news platforms represent migration issues can significantly impact intergroup relations and policymaking. A recurring question in the debate on the role of news platforms is whether they merely transmit information on migration, or actively hype specific issues. Drawing on a comprehensive set of socioeconomic statistics on migrants in Denmark, and employing a longitudinal automated content analysis of migration news content, we utilize time-series analysis to understand how four distinct categories of threat (security, economic, cultural, and generalized) relate to socioeconomic data on terror attacks, migrant crime levels, economic performance, and demographic trends. The results reveal a direct effect of terror attacks, economic performance, and demographic trends on migration news. We discuss the implications of socioeconomic and demographic developments as factors in digital media content to understand the role of media and substantiate contemporary debates.