Generally, the impact of media coverage of the theme migration has not led to a heightened awareness of the problem or to a collective push to find a solution, underlining the need for a further reflection on the issue. The aim of this investigation is to describe the media frames of migration in Italy and to understand how those frames influence public opinion and shape interventions focusing on migration, pursued by associations and institutions. Using a frame analysis, the paper reconstructs prevailing migration narratives in Italian news programs on the web and in institutional communication between 2015 and 2019. These narratives are then compared to the narratives that emerge from public opinion studies. Finally, proposal for new media  narratives of migration which could raise awareness and collective interest in the issue, is formulated. An inductive framing analysis was performed to construct a comprehensive set of migration  media frames. The main objective of the research was to describe a range of distinctive frame packages. A frame package is a coherent entity of framing devices and reasoning devices, that are labeled by an overarching core frame (Van Gorp 2007, 2010). The analysis was carried out in three phases. The purpose of the first phase was to create a matrix of migration media frames. The aim of the second phase was to gain an understanding of the effects of the media frames on public opinion, using a survey that focused on how the public perceives framed messages regarding migration. In the third phase a comparative analysis was made between the narratives of the media and those of the public in relation to migration. The findings suggest that there is a strong connection between media frames and public awareness and perceptions of migration.