How lies about migration polarize societies | Anatomy of Disinformation

Migration has become one of Europe’s biggest battlefields in the fight over who controls perception, fear, and influence. In this episode of Anatomy of Disinformation, Maia Mazurkiewicz examines how narratives around migrants are amplified through media, politics, and disinformation campaigns across Europe.

Anna Alboth, journalist and humanitarian activist, explains how migration became an emotional and highly politicized topic, why fear-based narratives spread so effectively online, and how media framing shapes public attitudes toward migrants and refugees.

Journalist and Columbia University lecturer Jacob Kushner discusses polarization around migration, violence fueled by xenophobia, and the responsibility of journalists in reporting migration without deepening social divisions.

From hybrid warfare on the Belarus–EU border to viral election disinformation and social media manipulation, this episode explores how migration is increasingly shaped not only by reality, but by the stories built around it.

Chapters:
00:00 Migration and the power of narratives
01:22 Interview 1: Is migration the problem or is the discourse about it
03:16 Interview 1: The Click Economy – how influencers monetize emotions
06:12 Interview 1: Centering coverage of migrant voices and normalizing diverse narratives
11:36 Case Study: Othering, pre-election manipulation, and weaponizing migrants
16:47 Interview 2: Why do fear and polarization take hold?
17:56 Interview 2: U.S. paradoxes – history of exclusion in a nation of immigrants,
19:12 Interview 2: How to accurately cover violence to build media literacy

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