When mask of Western media falls: Objectivity ends at the border

Western media often prides itself on upholding the values of truth, fairness and objectivity – codes of ethics emphasizing impartiality and human dignity. Journalism schools across the United States and Europe preach these ideals, and Western news outlets frequently position themselves as global models of credible journalism, quick to criticize “non-Westerners” for bias or propaganda. But when refugee crises began to shake the world over the past decade, that polished mirror cracked.

Duplicity of Ukraine vs. Syria

When war reached Ukraine in February 2022, the Western media machine moved swiftly, delivering coverage filled with empathy, urgency and calls for solidarity. Ukrainians were portrayed as brave civilians, mostly women and children, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The stories were deeply human: names, faces and feelings filled the pages. Coverage invoked a sense of moral responsibility and shared pain.

But when Syrians fled their war-torn cities in 2011, the tone was starkly different. Media coverage was often cautious at best and dehumanizing at worst – reducing people to numbers, anonymous masses or political burdens. Instead of sympathy, suspicion reigned. Instead of support, coverage emphasized economic strain, cultural difference and security concerns.

This contrast cannot be explained away by political context alone. It reveals how race, religion and proximity to “Europeanness” silently shape media narratives, and how the West’s professed commitment to ethical journalism falters when the victims are not white or C