Belonging-Security Across Borders: News Media, Migration and the Spaces of Production

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between migrants, news media, and feelings of belonging and security. It comparatively examines the role of news media produced in three distinct yet overlapping sociopolitical spheres—Australia, Iran, and the Iranian diaspora—in the management of “belonging-security” among Iranian migrants in Australia. The article investigates the experiences of Iranian Australians as they manage shifting understandings of identity, home, and community, all while engaging with a complex media environment that addresses multiple audiences and facilitates multiple overlapping communities. The findings demonstrate that participants apply their own evaluative frameworks onto media in an attempt to manage feelings of belonging-security and negotiate cultural and political borders.