Immigration: an invasion or an opportunity to the country. The effect of real news frames of immigration on ethnic attitudes

How immigration is framed in the media can influence ethnic attitudes and support for anti-immigration policies. This work analysed the effects of media representations about immigration (as an invasion or an opportunity for the economic growth of the country) on the perceptions (i.e., perceived [im]morality, realistic and symbolic threat) and emotions of anger and fear of Spanish (Study 1) and Italian participants (Study 2), and their willingness to accept anti-immigration policies proposed by far-right parties such as Vox (in Spain) or La Lega (in Italy). Results showed direct effects of news frames on perceived immorality, threat and anger in Spain. News frames indirectly affected support for anti-immigration policies through perceived immorality and realistic threat (serially). In Italy, news frames only affected perceived immorality and anger among Italians with rightist orientation. The opportunity-frame (vs. invasion-frame) was indirectly associated with less support for anti-immigration policies, through perceived immorality, for those with a more conservative orientation. These findings suggest that news frames can indirectly influence the support for anti-immigration parties through psychosocial processes in an era of political populism.