Comparing the Mediated Othering of Dominant and Minoritised Groups in Europe and the U.S.

Othering is a key component of the current political climate shaped by populist backlashes and authoritarianism. Typical populist narratives that other are us-vs-them discourses, which are exacerbated by various ongoing crises that challenge states as to who they are responsible for and who belongs. Through othering illiberal forces contribute to a weakening of democracy and its core values like civic tolerance. Importantly, othering today affects multiple outgroups that differ from dominant groups based on their nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity. Existing work, however, has predominantly focused on the othering and misrepresentation of individual minoristised groups. A comparative perspective, including (a) between-group comparisons, (b) the inclusion of dominant groups, (c) a cross-national as well as (c) longitudinal perspective are missing. The research question addressed by this study is: How similar (or different) are the media portrayals of dominant and minoritised groups?

Annual Conference of the International and Intercultural Communication Division of the DGPuK (German Communication Association)