Deals, domestication, and disasters: Results of a comparative content analysis of migration coverage in 15 African and European countries

Abstract

Migration has re-emerged as a central political issue across Africa and Europe, yet comparative research continues to privilege European perspectives and rarely incorporates the heterogeneity of African media systems. This study addresses this gap through a systematic content analysis of 1871 online news articles from 30 outlets in 15 African and European countries (2023-2024). We examine form, content, and evaluative dimensions of migration reporting, drawing on scholarship on transnationalisation, domestication, and structural influences on journalism. The findings show that domestication remains the dominant organising logic of European reporting and has become increasingly visible in African coverage, marking a notable shift from earlier studies that portrayed African media as largely agenda-following. While European outlets continue to focus strongly on security, conflict, and political regulation, African media devote comparatively more attention to the economic dimensions of migration, which is associated with more positive evaluations. By integrating African and European coverage into a unified comparative framework, the study advances debates on global news flows and indicates the emergence of a new transnational theme alongside persistent national logics: international migration ‘deals’.