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Abstract

Conflicts and wars have many parallels wherever they occur around the world. For many people worldwide, the media is the most important source of information on these conflicts and their effects on vulnerable groups such as women and children. Women’s experiences in particular mirror the atrocities of war zones. Yet, it is certain women whose stories and voices are amplified the most by the media. The war in Ukraine in comparison to ongoing conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan and Syria garnered more media coverage in a shorter time span. By reporting on some conflicts while neglecting others, and representing vulnerable groups in these selected areas in particular ways, the media influences whose voices get heard and which conflicts are at the forefront. This is especially important in determining the outcome of wars, the amount of global and humanitarian aid vulnerable groups in conflict zones receive, and the success of refugee assimilation in host countries. The following research analyzed studies examining media coverage of Ukrainian, Afghan, and Syrian refugees, particularly women, in the West. The research seeks to unveil the framing patterns found in Western media discourses regarding these refugees, arguing that these frames impact policy and public opinion.

Author Biography

Maha Bashri received her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is currently Associate Professor of Communication at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), previously holding the same position at Bradley University in Illinois, USA. Focusing on political communication and the impact of technology on politics, her research explores the interplay between mobilization and new media. Dr. Bashri’s most recent article in Information, Communication & Society investigates grassroots feminist groups in Sudan and their mobilization efforts to ratify the UN's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Email ID: maha.bashri@uaeu.ac.ae; bashrimaha@yahoo.com

Prospera Tedam is an Associate Professor of Social Work and Chair of the Department of Social Wellbeing, United Arab Emirates University. She has previously taught at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom where she was Principal Lecturer and University of Northampton where she was Senior Lecturer. Prospera’s research interests are in the areas of equality, diversity, and inclusion and also around the experiences of racially minoritized women and children in vulnerable contexts. Email ID: p.tedam@uaeu.ac.ae

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