Pacific Index

Analyzing 80 articles from U.S. and French outlets, the Pacific senior uncovered how media narratives can shape attitudes toward vulnerable communities

   For Pacific University senior Grace Bland, a lifelong fascination with France evolved into an academic project examining how the media shapes public understanding of refugees. Her capstone, a comparative analysis of U.S. and French mass media, explores how news outlets in both countries frame refugee stories and how those portrayals can influence the way audiences think about one of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

   By analyzing 80 articles across four media outlets, two based in the United States and two in France, Bland identified five dominant ways refugees are portrayed in the media. The project reflects not only her passion for journalism, but also a growing commitment to immigration and international affairs. At the center of the research is a simple but urgent question: how does the media influence public perception?

   For Bland, that question matters because refugees are a particularly delicate demographic whose lives are often shaped by the way the public views them. The way media frames refugee stories can affect how communities accept them, what stereotypes take hold, and even what resources they are granted. “The media is an incredible tool,” Bland said, reflecting on the results of the project. “But it can also enforce negative stereotypes and connotations.”

   The international focus of the capstone is rooted in a much older passion. Bland laughed while describing how her fascination with France began long before college, admitting she once had a fully Paris-themed bedroom in middle school. “I’ve always been obsessed with France,” she said.

   That childhood fascination eventually led to a semester abroad in France, a decision that became foundational to the project’s comparative lens. While applying for study abroad, Bland nearly chose Ireland instead, worried her French language skills were not strong enough. But encouragement from faculty member Jann Purdy convinced her to take the leap.

That experience abroad gave Bland a firsthand understanding of French culture and media, helping shape the cross-national perspective that would later define the capstone. The project, however, did not begin as a media analysis.

   Originally, Bland planned to create a blog documenting immigrant and refugee nonprofits across Oregon and how those organizations were responding to federal budget cuts. She built an entire website, drafted a five-page project plan, and reached out to nonprofits throughout the state.

   Then the responses started coming in.

   Many organizations declined to participate, citing fears of receiving media attention amid immigration crackdowns during the Trump administration. Though disappointing, Bland said she understood the hesitation. “It did make my project a bit more difficult,” she admitted.

   The setback forced a complete rethinking of the capstone, but it also opened the door to a stronger idea. Around the same time, Bland was taking a politics in the media course with professor Jules Boykoff, whose guidance helped redirect the project into a media framing analysis. Combined with support from advisor Phil Busse, the new idea finally gave the capstone a clear path forward. Once the concept was in place, the work began to flow.

   Bland spent months reading, coding, and analyzing all 80 articles, sorting recurring language, themes, and narrative patterns. Though the process was grueling, it ultimately led to what she described as a moment of clarity.

   “After the grueling hours it took for me to read, analyze, and code all 80 articles, I finally had a moment where I was like, ‘wow,’” she said. The findings reinforced the idea that audiences should approach media critically rather than passively. While Bland emphasized that the takeaway is not to distrust journalism, she hopes audiences learn to recognize how news stories are shaped by editorial choices, political context, and cultural assumptions.

   Instead of allowing the media to decide what to think, she said, readers should actively form their own conclusions. That lesson has already begun shaping Bland’s future.

   Just two days after graduation, she will return to France on another study course with professors Aaron Greer and Don Schweitzer, this time continuing her comparison of immigration in France and the United States. She is also participating in a mentorship program with the nonprofit publication The Immigrant Story, where she works directly with refugees and immigrants to help tell their stories.

   The experience, Bland said, has been one of the most meaningful parts of her journalism journey so far. Not only has it strengthened her reporting skills, but it has also deepened her commitment to covering immigration with care and nuance. While she is still figuring out exactly where she will go after graduation, she now sees a clear future in international affairs and immigration-focused journalism.

   When Bland first arrived at Pacific, she only knew one thing: she loved writing. Now, after years of faculty mentorship, study abroad experiences, and a capstone that transformed setbacks into insight, she is leaving with a far clearer sense of purpose.

   More than a research project, the capstone became a way for Bland to discover the kind of journalist she hopes to become—one who not only studies how stories are told, but helps tell them with empathy, depth, and impact.

    A note from Bland, “I can’t thank the faculty at Pacific enough for the guidance they’ve offered and for helping me find a side of myself that I didn’t know existed when I arrived here. There’s not a single professor that I’ve taken courses with that hasn’t left a huge impact on my life, and while I can’t list them all (because it’s a never ending list), I just want them all to know that the work they do as educators is so important and that I’m eternally grateful.”