Suriyeli göçmenlerin paternalistik medya temsillerinin kamuoyu tutumu üzerindeki etkisi

The mass media significantly influences individuals' attitudes and beliefs via representations of outgroup members. The current study examined the impact of different types of immigrant representations (positive, negative, and paternalistic) encountered in the mainstream media on the social perception and helping intentions toward Syrian immigrants among host country citizens. Moreover, dehumanization's mediator role in the relationship between representation condition and helping intentions (support for help, autonomy- and dependency-oriented help) was investigated. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and read a fictitious news article covering an NGO event about Syrian immigrants in Turkey. The findings demonstrated that Syrian immigrants were attributed significantly less uniquely human emotions and honor values compared to Turkish citizens, suggesting a form of dehumanization. Contrary to expectation, the type of representation of immigrants did not significantly influence outcome variables (perceived threat, positive affect, support for help, and preference for helping orientations). Additionally, the results showed that dehumanization did not serve as a mediator between the type of representation and helping intentions. Limitations of the findings and future implications are discussed.