Media, Education and Immigration in Italy

This work explores the connection between migrants, education and the media, with particular reference to the Italian context in which immigration is now configured as a structural phenomenon. The percentage of non-Italian citizens with habitual residence in Italy, in 2018, is about 6 million (about 10% of the resident population), while non-regular citizens are over 500 thousand. The real presence would be much lower than that perceived (25%) and this distorted vision would be the basis of a hostile attitude towards immigration. The distorted perception of the phenomenon also contributes to those media that often present the issue of immigration in a simplistic and distorted, instrumental and divisive way, with the result of disinformation and polarization of public opinion. The thesis supported is based on the assumption that the media (traditional and digital) negatively influence prejudices, fueling mistrust and fear towards them.