ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the representation of ethnic minorities and migrant groups on television news in the UK during the first wave of COVID-19. This question was framed by two developments. First, ethnic minorities were disproportionately affected by the virus. Second, public attention on key workers during this period revealed the remarkable ethnic and national diversity of the NHS. Empirically, the chapter draws upon a systematic content analysis of the main evening news bulletins of the UK’s major broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky News) over a period of four weeks in April–May 2020. It argues that, despite some rare moments of positive media visibility afforded to ethnic minorities and migrant groups in COVID-19 news, this reporting focused on the exceptional, constructing notions of ‘deserving migrants’, while failing to challenge restrictive structural factors, such as immigration policies and widespread xenophobia that threaten the livelihood and well-being of these groups.
