Date of Degree

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Program

Communication Arts

Advisor

Zazil Reyes García

Advisor

Raymond Blanton

Abstract

Operation Lone Star was a border security initiative launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in March 2021. Serving as the intermediary between the military and the public, the Texas Military Department's YouTube channel, TMD Operation Lone Star, produced news-style short digital videos aimed at documenting and promoting increased security along the U.S.-Mexican border. Drawing on Peter Andreas's (2022) concept of the border as a symbolically manipulated site, this study deconstructed these videos to analyze the visual strategies employed in depicting the migrant crisis as a threat to the United States. Through an examination of thematic categories such as massification, separation, and individualization, this research aimed to elucidate how migrants were portrayed in the media under Operation Lone Star. After analyzing the visual artifacts, I argued that these videos not only framed refugees as potential threats to national sovereignty but also normalized the militarization of the border. Moreover, ethical considerations surrounding the deliberate construction of border spectacles and media representations of refugees were discussed. In conclusion, I provided recommendations for further ethical deliberations concerning the portrayal of refugees in the media. Ultimately, this project sought to understand the underlying ideology propagated by the Texas government and military, redirecting attention to the root causes of the crises, namely poverty and violence resulting from the spread of neoliberalism in Latin America during the latter half of the 20th century.

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