Representation of international students in the Portuguese press: Are immigrants welcome?

Abstract

Since the 2000s, the Portuguese government and higher education institutions have been making significant changes to their strategies for attracting international students. While scholars have given extensive consideration to how these changes have increased the number of international students, less attention has been paid to how the national media have represented these new arrivals. Hence, in this article, following the analysis of 103 news stories published in two leading Portuguese newspapers, we investigate the representation of international students in the Portuguese press to analyse how the media portrayed this population from 2006 to 2019. As student mobility became more visible in Portuguese migration and education policies, media focus on this phenomenon increased. Based on a critical analysis discourse framework, our results outline a positive narrative about international students that both reinforces Portugal’s image as an attractive destination for skilled youths and highlights the contribution of international students to the country’s development.