Combating Migration “Single Story” and Social Exclusion in Malta

• In Event: Poster Session: Public Policy Preferences and Attitudes toward Democracy & European Politics and Society
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: European Politics and Society

Abstract

Leveraging on Media Literacy to Combat Migration “Single Story” and Social Exclusion in Malta

Communities, public actors, and other interested stakeholders often employ narratives, or compelling single stories, about migrants and refugees, using them as scapegoats for entrenched social issues and fears. This distorts realities about migrant and minority groups and provides ammunition for their social exclusion. Given this reality, the study draws on the examination of current events, a sample survey of project participants, and a review of relevant academic works, to analyse the dynamics of one-sided stereotypical depiction of migration and stimulate further public discourse about multiple deprivations and inequities in heterogeneous and complex European societies. Presenting the small but multicultural Island of Malta as a case study, it specifically interrogates the potency of media literacy in challenging harmful and dehumanising narratives and ultimately, promoting a more inclusive attitude towards migrant and minority groups. The study gathers data from a variety of demographic segments, employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including informal conversations and survey administration. By evaluating the joint intervention of African Media Association Malta (AMAM) and NWAMI International Malta (NIM), the study affirms that media literacy, if deeply embedded at both individual and institutional levels, can in the long term be a game changer in reframing migration narratives, coupled with other concomitant evidence-based interventions and sustained collaborations.

Author

• Mike Opeyemi Omilusi, EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY