Media Consumption amongst First Generation Argentinean-Australians

Abstract

Media, be it diasporic, transnational, or mainstream, provides diasporas with a communication method and connection via the distribution of information, whilst retaining cultural and social bonds from their country of origin. Recent studies in the USA and Australia have reported significant increases in diasporic media use and audience numbers, as it creates a sense of identity amongst them. In addition to publishing news from the mainstream culture, diasporic media supports its community by being its voice, whilst preserving its culture, language and history (Natolo 2015 in press; Natolo 2014; Carreira 2013; Laleko 2013; Liu 2013; Shin and Lee 2013). As Spanish is one of Australia’s most prevalent community languages, the field of media studies and language maintenance in Australia remains undeveloped. The premise of this paper is to investigate from an interdisciplinary perspective, first generation Argentineans diasporic and transnational media consumption patterns, Spanish language maintenance, and their individual and collective identity via their use of Spanish language media. The study utilized a mixed methods approach collecting data from 50 survey respondents, followed by an interview with 26 interviewees. The findings suggest that respondents preferred to consume media in their native language, and that diasporic and transnational media aided to define and unify first generation Argentineans in the Hispanic-Australian public sphere.