Don't patronize me: media-by and media-for minorities

Abstract

The proposed paradigm aims at differentiating between two prototypes of ethnic minority media – media-for and media-by minorities – according to a series of twelve criteria clustered into three major categories. The first category comprises four criteria addressing medium initiative and design, i.e. the initiative behind the medium establishment, the nature of its ownership and the identity of its personnel and management. The second offers five criteria for evaluating medium functioning, i.e. the medium's agenda, its attitude towards the majority versus the country of origin, professional reference group and the minority's access to the medium and representation therein. The third category consists of three types of medium control – political, economic and public. As shown, the distinction between the two prototypes has numerous theoretical and practical implications concerning the minority media's performance in mediating between the minority and the majority, as well as their differential ability to guarantee the minority self-expression and empowerment.