The Panicocene in Italian media. Discourse analysis of climate migration narratives

Purpose This study aims to analyze the evolution of climate migration narratives in Italian print media from 2014 to 2024, examining how crisis-driven framings perpetuate the “Panicocene” – an era characterized by the fusion of climate and migration discourses into narratives of emergency. Design/methodology/approach Through a systematic qualitative analysis of 106 articles from the Carta di Roma Association’s press review, this research reveals how Italian media oscillate between humanitarian victimization and securitized othering of climate-displaced. Findings This research reveals how Italian media oscillate between humanitarian victimization and securitized othering of climate-displaced. This discourse reinforces structural inequalities by collapsing long-term socio-environmental challenges into sensationalized emergencies, legitimizing exclusionary policies while erasing the agency of affected communities. The study critiques the dominance of crisis rhetoric for fostering “climate migration amnesia,” which obscures historical patterns of environmental adaptation and excludes voices from climate-vulnerable regions. Originality/value By situating Italy as a “narrative laboratory,” the analysis demonstrates how media logic transforms global climate mobilities into localized threats, advancing the concept of invasion from the so-called Global South.