Tratamiento de la inmigración irregular de menores de edad en la prensa canaria (2004-2008). Análisis de la protección jurídica y social de la infancia inmigrada en perspectiva de derechos

Resum

The present thesis deals, according to the rights for migrated childhood, with the informative treatment given by the press of the Canary Islands to the irregular immigration of minors between 2004-2008. These years exemplified the maximum period of activity in the migratory flow towards the Canary Islands concerning unaccompanied migrated minors (from here on, MMNA). The research has as general objective to identify and describe the reality about the migratory phenomenon of MMNA in the Canary Islands, analysing every aspect of information in order to verify the degree of compliance regarding supranational, national and regional regulations about protection of minors. Due to the performative ability of mass media, trying to ascertain empirically if this media infringe or not children´s rights, just like analysing the messages and meta-messages used to characterize these boys and girls, constitutes an influential index to establish if the published informative messages in the press of the Canary Islands contribute to the integration and/or to the rejection of MMNA. The study, made using a triple curricular point of view (Social Work, Laws and Journalism), is supported in a mixed researching model, which combines data analysis with quantitative and qualitative trainings referring to informative messages, published in the four newspapers in the Canary Islands with own the biggest editions and the highest number of readers, according to General Mass Media Studies (EGM). A single researching newspaper file card had been done to every of the 1702 informative pieces published during this period, which make up the universe of overall study, where all the formal and aspects and contents are included, not only in a textual way but also in a visual one. In addition, international (United Nations and European Union), national and regional legal resources are identified and described, regarding to questions as setting of the age, repatriations, moves, residence and asylum applications, familiar reunifications, or childhood care, with the aim to identify and verify the compliance of legal rules that expect to protect this collective, appreciating, from a holistic point of view, the range of protection in that safeguard spirit that defines this childhood. Besides, different rules and style sheets that must point the right ethical confrontation of the migratory fact useful for specialists in journalism are analysed. As fundamental result, the research verifies and confirms a systematic infringement of children´s rights, and especially of MMNA, in the press of the Canary Islands. According to the manuals and style sheets, and also to the complete international, national and regional regulations in matters of protection of children´s rights, improvement measurement are recommended.