Orientalism and Hierarchy of Victims: A Comparative Study of Ukrainian and Syrian Refugees’ Representation in the UK National Mainstream Newspapers

By: Dr. Ahmad Barakat
Department of Political Science and International Studies
Teaching Fellow
University of Birmingham

Published on: 9 February 2026
The Journal of Communication and Media Studies

Abstract: This study examines the inconsistency of refugees’ representations in the UK national mainstream newspapers and the continuing orientalist bias. The study is a comparative analysis of Ukrainian refugees in 2022 to 2023 and Syrian refugees’ portraiture in the UK print media in 2015 to 2016. There was a constant flow of refugees into Europe during both these periods of time; however, the media portrayal was polar opposite in mood and tale. This study asserts that temporal, political, and cultural factors shaped these representations, particularly the experience of covering the Syrian crisis, which subsequently influenced the reporting on the Ukrainian displacement. Using news framing theory and Said’s “Orientalism,” the study elucidates how UK media narratives constructed a hierarchy of victims, privileging European, white, and Christian migrants while depicting Middle Eastern refugees as culturally alien or threatening. The findings demonstrate that orientalist rhetoric continues to shape media portrayals, promoting the normalization of selective empathy and sustaining negative perceptions of Syrian refugees within British public discourse.