Perceptions of Minority Discrimination: Perspectives of Jews Living in Germany on News Media Coverage

Abstract

This study explores how Jews in Germany perceive news coverage and its influence on third persons. Against the background of social identity theory, 29 semi-structured interviews with Jews demonstrated that they perceived sensationalist reports on antisemitism, overinsistent links to the Holocaust, the equation of Jews and Israel, and stereotypical portrayals of Jewish life. Such reports led participants to believe that non-Jews perceived Jews as strangers in society. Our findings underline the importance of nonstereotyped reporting on minorities and suggest that individuals’ contemplation about media coverage and its influence on society may be interpreted as a consequence of social identity threats.