Media, Digital Engagement, and the Dynamics of Attitude Change Toward Foreigners in Switzerland

Abstract This study investigates the influence of media coverage on public attitudes and engagement related to migration and asylum issues, using both survey data and Google search behavior as complementary indicators. Utilizing autoregressive panel models with individual and year fixed effects (1999–2021), the study examines the impact of specific media frames, including economic, welfare, and security, on shifts in Swiss public opinion. Results show no consistent effect of general migration or asylum coverage on attitudinal change. However, security-related framing significantly reduces the likelihood of becoming more negative, suggesting that it may mitigate public fears and concerns. The interaction between migration and security framing, by contrast, increases negativity, highlighting the conditional impact of framing combinations. A significant interaction between asylum and statistical framing also reduces negative attitude change. Google search data adds a behavioral dimension, and results from linear models show that migration salience increases search engagement, while economic and security frames decrease public interest. The multi-dimensional approach thus provides a nuanced understanding of media’s dual role in shaping both attitudes and public curiosity toward migration, highlighting the importance of specific frames and their combinations in public discourse.