This article is based on a talk given at the London School of Economics and Political Science on November 18, 2016. Europe is currently facing severe political challenges, some of which seem to be connected. Take for example, the refugee crisis and the rise of right wing populism in countries …

After September 11, 2001 Arabs and Muslims became the topic of interest for the global media, drawing attention from news outlets worldwide. Recently, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) along with civil wars in the Arab region have forced hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens, particularly from Syria and Iraq, to flee their homelands. The resulting refugee crisis drew substantial attention and debate. Therefore, studying the framing of Arab refugees and asylum seekers in the global media is of notable significance, especially in connection to ISIS, the war on terrorism, and the upheaval in the Middle East.

Veteran journalist Magda Abu-Fadil speaks with us about how the migration crisis has been covered in Lebanese media and beyond, and issues of media ethics in the Arab world. Magda Abu-Fadil brings years of experience as a foreign correspondent and editor with international news organizations such as Agence France-Presse and United Press International. She is director of Media Unlimited.

With the tragic attacks in Paris last week, the emerging discourse has inevitably connected this atrocity to the migration crisis, particularly the influx of Syrian refugees into Europe. The closing of borders, and the decision to further restrict the flow of refugees by several Western countries has further escalated the already contentious debate about how best to handle this crisis. In light of this, we speak with The Guardian correspondent Patrick Kingsley about the media narrative around the crisis.