When the results of the 2016 referendum headlined tabloid papers across the United Kingdom, it was not the first time the tabloid media screamed “Leave!” to their readers. From years before the vote to significantly ramping up coverage in the months prior to the fateful day, the tabloid media used its dominant presence in British culture to influence public opinion on the referendum. Its publication of sensationalized topics, often loosely based in truth, amplified its tenacious campaign to weaponize the issue of immigration in order to maintain its wide readership and support from proponents of Brexit.
Leading up to the vote, three of the five most prominent UK newspapers, The Sun, Daily Mail, and Daily Telegraph, are all right-wing affiliated newspapers that were widely read pro-Brexit publications. A study in 2016 revealed that the total monthly audience across The Sun, the Daily Mail, and the Daily Express reached sixty-seven million people, while the only popular newspaper supporting the Remain campaign garnered only twenty-eight million readers. The skew in pro-Brexit readership was intensified by the fact that compared to the opposition, there was an “82 percent circulation advantage in favor of leaving the union.” In other words, the tabloid media was no force to be reckoned with, even if the British deny that sensational journalism could impact such a monumental decision for the nation.
The political strategy of the tabloid media was to antagonize immigrants and foster xenophobic sentiments as a way to maintain its pro-Brexit readership and even rally undecided readers to Leave. A compilation of hit words in the anti-immigrant coverage in the UK tabloid media between 2011-2016 revealed how the press used negative rhetoric such as “out of control,” “stampeding,” or “swamping” to describe immigration, particularly exacerbated during the peaks of migrant crises.
The tabloid media also connected the “influx” of immigrants into the UK to economic downturns and scapegoated them for a stagnating job market. In 2016 alone, more than 1,000 national press stories and an additional 1,699 local news stories included the words “benefit fraud,” “benefit cheat,” and “skivers and strivers” to conflate the issue of immigration with disparate economic issues. For example, a King’s College survey found that 64% of Conservative Leave voters incorrectly believed that the UK sends 350 million pounds a week to the EU and 78% of Conservative leave voters incorrectly believed that European immigration has increased crime. When the Daily Telegraph or the Daily Mail independently ran front-page leads about EU nationals convicted of crimes, King’s College Researchers discovered these publications were manipulating statistics to purposely mislead readers.
The tabloid press harped on the immigration issue because it frankly garnered more attention than other topics. The issue of immigration attracted 50 percent more attention in the newspapers that campaigned to leave the European Union than it did in those concerned to remain in the European Union.” From a sample of ninety-nine front-page leads on this issue, “76 percent were in just four Leave-supporting newspapers” as the “The Express, Daily Mail, and Sun produced 1,785 articles about immigration over the ten weeks of the campaign.” Unsurprisingly, areas with the highest supporters of Brexit were also “areas where immigrant numbers were lowest” and this explains why the National Centre for Social Research determined that 73% of those who voted Leave listed immigration as a worry. Tabloids publicize these sentiments in articles with purposely provocative titles such as “Thousands of illegal workers claiming benefits” published by the Daily Mail in 2011 or “You pay for Roma gypsy palaces – another reason to quit EU” published by the Daily Express in 2016. In doing so, the tabloid media aligns themselves with values of their core readership and even enables their ignorance.
The rise of right-wing tabloid media has brought about a new wave of polarization in British politics. With manipulative reporting that caters to its audience’s viewpoints instead of relying on facts, tabloid newspapers wield significant influence in the mainstream narratives that informs public opinion. The national dialogue surrounding the 2016 referendum reflects the irreconcilable extremities that exist within British politics, especially if tabloid media can publish sensationalized articles and perpetuate xenophobic tendencies without accountability.
In the future, as these tabloids wax and wane in influence, it will be increasingly important to engage with alternative viewpoints in an attempt to cultivate more diverse depictions of political opinion within the populace. The 2016 referendum proved that a homogenized and incendiary media will only advance its own interests, and it is up to the people to advocate for a more fair and accurate representation of their politics.