More or less strangers. Social distance as reflected in news media reporting on the young, the old and the allochthon

In an attempt to shed more light on the nature of solidaristic relations between various groups in Dutch society, the paper examines the media-conveyed images of the young, the old, the autochthon (i.e. native) and the allochthon (i.e. non-native) population. The investigation rests on the assumption that by voicing specific norms and values, and presenting a particular image of social life in a society, media contribute to the creation and maintenance of symbolic boundaries between groups, thus influencing the nature of inter-group relations. The results show minor dissimilarities in the media presentation of the old and the young, yet considerable differences in the presentation of the allochthon and autochthon characters. In comparison to allochton actors, autochthon characters are awarded a more prominent position in the news, enjoy a more heterogeneous presentation and a more positive overall evaluation. There are also considerable differences in the presentation of various sub-groups of non-ethnically Dutch characters, with Turks enjoying the most favourable descriptions and Moroccans most unfavourable ones. Of particular relevance to the study of inter-groups relations are differences in the media presentation of negative and positive characteristics of various groups. The findings indicate that evaluations of the groups under study differ not only in their quantity or intensity but also in their content and gist (e.g. hostility vs. incompetence in case of negative evaluations). The results are interpreted in the light of literature on social distance and social practices of "othering".