News as bridge or barrier? The role of news consumption in immigrants’ sense of belonging

This study examines how immigrants’ news consumption relates to their sense of belonging in the receiving society. We conceptualize news consumption along three dimensions (frequency, sources, and trust) and analyze associations with belonging, controlling for age, gender, education, length of stay, language proficiency, migration pathway, and friendships. Drawing on an eight-language survey of 633 immigrants in the Netherlands, results show that friendships with natives are most strongly associated with belonging, followed by trust in news. Consuming Dutch media was also positively associated with belonging, particularly among immigrants with fewer native friends. The findings underscore news as a conditional resource for belonging.