Date of Award

Fall 2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Communication

Committee Chair

Christopher Campbell

Committee Chair School

Communication

Committee Member 2

Cheryl Jenkins

Committee Member 2 School

Communication

Committee Member 3

Vanessa Murphree

Committee Member 3 School

Communication

Committee Member 4

Fei Xue

Committee Member 4 School

Communication

Committee Member 5

Dave Davies

Committee Member 5 School

Communication

Abstract

Generally, there have been conflicts in the world regarding media coverage especially on #SyrianRefugees in Western media. It is undebatable that the Western states have political stability and peace; thus, they remain better hosts for asylum seekers and other refugees who come in search of greener pastures. However, current trends have hindered such countries from being ideal hubs because citizens have basic fears including those related to national security. Refugee situations have attracted lots of controversies over the years to the point that the concern is evident in the media. This dissertation explores the crisis of Syrian refugees and the unending arguments associated with conflicts as seen in #SyrianRefugees. Technology has fueled a number of perspectives on social media platforms where most people react to posts and tweets. Media organizations such as CNN indicated that Syrian refugees were not embraced. For instance, only five states in the United States showed interest in housing these refugees while the rest demonstrated reluctance. Twitter users opposed various moves made to house refugees and research has it that these claims are shared by people as the representation of their home governments. The Syrian crisis was debated widely on social media and especially on Twitter. Global sparks were evident on Twitter when a number of people drowned in the Mediterranean Sea attempting to reach Europe for settlement. Such dangers for refugees were tweeted in an attempt to touch the hearts of governments and human organizations across the world. In response, the claims reached relevant authorities such as the EU who signed treaties with Turkey to accommodate Syrians. Overall, the Syrian crisis was covered widely on Twitter.

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0051-7793

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