Thread by @gameoldgirl

For those who might be interested, here is the final #chartofshame for 2018, with some random observations to follow

@sundersays @alantravis @briancathcart @ProfRobNewton @ladaprice @stopfundinghate

The total - 92 national newspaper splashes - is the lowest since I started collating these charts five years ago.
(2/?)

In all previous years, the tone has been almost entirely hostile to incomers - particularly in the build-up to #euref.
This year, there have been as many positive or neutral stories about migration as negative. (3/?)

(By that I mean positive + neutral balance the negative, not that all three stances scored the same - don't expect overnight miracles!)

But the biggest chunk of "migrant" stories fall into what I've called the "political" category...
(4?)

These are stories about the successive home secretaries coming under fire for their approach to the issue: Rudd on Windrush, Javid on both Windrush and the latest flurry about the Channel dinghies.
(5/?)

Theresa May, whose tenure at the Home Office was at the root of many of the stories that broke this year, has been given a largely free ride.
Whatever their stance on #Brexit and her "deal", the Express, Mail, Telegraph, Times and Sun don't want to risk letting Corbyn into No10.

Another key difference from previous years has been the change of editorship at the Express, which had always been the runaway "winner". Gary Jones has said that he doesn't want his paper to be offensive and there have been hardly any migration splashes since he took the chair

It is interesting that only the Telegraph has gone to town on the Channel boat people (this is about newspapers, not broadcasters - the BBC seems obsessed).
Has there been an outbreak of common sense?

We can but hope...

The Express, still fervently pro-Brexit, appears to have reformed, the Mail now has a Remainer editor (even if he has yet to take his paper in that direction). But there's a real risk that immigrants will again become cannon fodder if there's a #peoplesvote

Happy new year

ends (i think)

AAARGH!
Sorry, forgot to add the Daily Express's modest offerings to the final tally. So it's 96, not 92. Apologies all round

One last thought (as if!)
The 2018 total includes a heck of a lot of *real* news stories - most notably @ameliagentleman's #BJA award-winning Windrush coverage - there has been hardly any of this sort of "immigrants take all our jobs" stastistical nonsense.