Local narrative-making on refugees: how the interaction between journalists and policy networks shapes the media frames

The chapter investigates two urban crises started in 2013: the rapid increase of transit migrants at the Central Station of Milan and the illegal occupation of four buildings in the ex-Moi area in Turin. By matching the media and policy analysis, the authors show the central role that the local institutions can play in shaping narratives on migrants, including media narratives. Still, some conditions have to be met: the actors belonging to the local policy networks have to develop shared frames and communicate them to the media, establishing dense relations with local reporters. Also the dynamics of local journalism matter: the presence of reporters with a specific expertise on migration and stable engagement on the case, as well as th e collaboration within and between newsrooms, namely the existence of a sort of local media community, contribute to the development of consistent narratives over time and the prevalence of humanitarian rather than security frames.