Austria and the Refugee Crisis: An Analysis of American Sentiment in Social versus Print Media Embassy of Austria to the United States 3524 International Court NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Proposal to: Dr. Hannes R. Richter, Ph.D. Deputy Director, Austrian Press & Information Service December 2016 Prepared by: Kristin Butts Margaret Ferrill (MPA, 2017) (MPA, 2017)
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Phone: 240-344-5793 Phone: 925-858-6600 Kristina Hummel Steve Ozinga (MPA, 2016) (MPA, 2017)
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Phone: 352-615-9977 Phone: 616-340-8771 Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dora Kingsley Vertenten University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA “My God, this is the end of diplomacy!” - British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston, upon receiving his first telegram in the 1840s i Table of Contents ii Table of Figures v Table of Tables vii Glossary of Quotations viii 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Issue Statement 2 2.1 The Syrian Refugee Crisis 3 2.1.1 The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Austria 4 2.2 American Media’s Portrayal of the Syrian Refugee Crisis 6 2.2.1 Polarization of Public Opinion 6 2.2.2 Lack of Credibility in Shared Social Media Content 7 2.3 Potential Concerns of Negative American Sentiment 8 2.3.1 Policy Impact 8 2.3.2 Economic Impact 9 2.3.3 Diplomatic Impact 9 2.4 Organizational Context 9 2.4.1 Current Political Climate in Austria 9 2.4.2 American Attitudes towards Immigration Policies 10 3.