Language on immigration in UK news and politics found to have ‘shaped backlash against antiracism’

Pattern of hostile language' in media and debates likely to describe people of colour with less sympathy, report says

A pattern of hostile language" in news reports and UK parliamentary debates is more likely to describe people of colour as immigrants, or with less sympathy, researchers have found.

The race equality thinktank the Runnymede Trust analysed more than 63m words from 52,990 news articles and 317 House of Commons debates on immigration between 2019 and the general election in July 2024.