Framing the Voiceless: News Conventions and the Undocumented Children in the United States

Immigration is a major focus of journalistic inquiry, particularly in countries like the US where the prospect of a better life act as a magnet for countless people each year. In the US, such coverage tends to focus on the adult immigrants, particularly the political and economic ramifications that attach to those who arrive without legal papers. This paper looks at the coverage – or lack thereof – of the children who accompany their parents over the border, north into the United States. It argues that these children, who tend to be voiceless whenever this issue is publicly debated, deserve to be represented in the discussions that take place within the media.