Published: 2026-04-02

The rhetoric of fear. Migrants in Polish press discourse: 
A case study of “Sieci”, “Do Rzeczy”, and “Gazeta Polska”

Barbara Sobczak
Poradnik Językowy
Section: Papers and dissertations
DOI https://doi.org/10.33896/PorJ.2026.3.2

Abstract

The article aims to identify and describe the mechanisms of the rhetoric of fear employed in conservative media to construct a specific representation of migrants and to influence attitudes among Poles toward individuals arriving in Poland from other countries. A rhetorical analysis was conducted on texts published between January and October 2025 in three opinion weeklies: “Sieci”, “Do Rzeczy”, and “Gazeta Polska”. The analysis identified four principal mechanisms of the rhetoric of fear: the escalation of threats, the demonization of migrants, dystopization, and a conspiracy worldview. It also revealed a range of rhetorical devices used to evoke fear, including accumulation, perseveration, nominalization, framing, the use of metaphors and symbols, stereotyping, and personalization.

Keywords:

media discourse, migrants, fear rhetoric , dystopisation, conspiracy worldview

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Sobczak, B. (2026). The rhetoric of fear. Migrants in Polish press discourse: 
A case study of “Sieci”, “Do Rzeczy”, and “Gazeta Polska”. Poradnik Językowy, 832(3), 10–36. https://doi.org/10.33896/PorJ.2026.3.2

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