The protection of human rights is a crucial objective for democratic societies. Despite this, ongoing wars and forced migration continue to be significant obstacles to the realization of these universal rights, as evidenced by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the refugee crisis of 2015/16. In response to these challenges, the EU initiated the “Protect” project to assess the impact of changes in the legal system, governance, and public discourse on international refugee protection.

Research from the University of Stuttgart has analyzed media data for the project. The researchers studied the composition of the European public on social networks such as Facebook, and whether these communities are organized along ideological lines.

“The European public is structured by political fault lines that transcend national borders. This means that the much-discussed collective European public is characterized, among other things, by similar political conflicts,” the researchers explain.

Networks matter

Furthermore, the researchers delved into the workings of agenda-setting in the discourse surrounding migration and refugees on Twitter. They discovered that parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other institutions receive increased attention on Twitter if they maintain strong connections with organizations within the same field.

“This means that the actual professional networks of an organization have an impact on media relevance,” the researchers conclude. “This has important implications for the social media strategy of organizations that can significantly contribute to the preservation and advancement of the rights of refugees and migrants.”