Ethnic Media Research Articles

Latino-Targeted Misinformation and the Power of Factual Corrections

Do individual, interpersonal, or institutional factors condition the effects of misinformation on beliefs? Can interventions such as fact checks stem the tide of the “infodemic” within marginalized communities? We explore the sudden flood of misinformation and disinformation targeting Latinos during the 2020 election and global COVID-19 pandemic to answer these questions. In a preregistered experiment, we find that exposure to misinformation can decrease factual accuracy, and neither trust in nor consumption of media, including ethnic media, serves as a buffer against these misinformation effects. However, fact checks eliminate the effects of misinformation on false beliefs without “backfiring” and reducing accuracy. Fact checks improve factual accuracy among subgroups varying in levels of political knowledge, trust, and acculturation. These findings provide crucial support for recent investments into fact checking by Latino-oriented media outlets and address gaps within the literature over whether such interventions are also effective within marginalized groups.

Fluctuations of immigration salience: testing alternative explanations of policy salience among US Latinos

AbstractWhat makes immigration a salient issue among Latinos? We focus on immigration – one of the most pressing issues facing the United States (US) – and evaluate the factors that motivate immigration salience among Latinos over several election cycles. Although immigration policy has been linked with the Latino electorate over the period of our study due to high foreign-born rates and mixed-status families within this community, immigration policy has actually not been the dominant issue for the majority of Latino voters over this time period. Using survey responses from the 2008, 2012 and 2016 elections, we test multiple theories of issue salience by exploring social, political and individual determinants of policy salience among Latino voters. We find that in addition to nativity, consumption of ethnic media and group identity are associated with reporting immigration as a salient issue. These findings provide a valuable addition to literature of public opinion on immigration and the origins of policy issue salience among ethno-racial minorities in the US.

Dependent on the Hegemony to be Heard: Chinese Ethnic Media in Postcolonial Australia

ABSTRACT Existing research has positioned ethnic media as alternative or complementary to the English mainstream media, suggesting ethnic media as something inherently different to the mainstream society. How ethnic media relate to Western multicultural societies is more complicated than what has been conceptualised as segregation or otherisation. By focusing on Chinese ethnic media in Australia as a case study, this paper seeks to understand how ethnic media associate themselves with mainstream society in their everyday practices and the social implications informed by these associations. Based on the 27 qualitative interviews with Chinese media professionals at commercial Chinese-language media organisations run by local Chinese migrants, I argue that Chinese ethnic media aspire to be part of Australia’s postcolonial structure that is inherently designed to exclude them. To be recognised by the dominant society, Chinese ethnic media imitate English counterparts uncritically or internalise inferiority in the media structure by positioning themselves news source providers or assistance. Chinese ethnic media’s dependence on the hegemonic society generates biased activism. Chinese ethnic media advocate for communal interest while translating inter-ethnic racism from postcolonial Australia.

ЕТНОКОМУНІКАЦІЯ В МУЛЬТИКУЛЬТУРНОМУ РЕГІОНІ: ВИКЛИКИ ДЛЯ СИСТЕМИ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

The cross-border status of Transcarpathia, its multiethnicity is reflected in various spheres of life, including mass communication activities. The article actualizes the issue of the functioning of online media of the ethnic communities in the westernmost region of Ukraine in the context of the development of multicultural information space in the structure of the Ukrainian national media field. The role of ethnic media in informing and supporting traditions and customs, preservation of ethnic consciousness and cultural diversity is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the ethno-national aspect of communication and the important role of Transcarpathian media in the development of native-language communication, which is represented by a wide range of ethnic media (Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Roma, German, Jewish, etc.). The model of multicultural communication developed in Transcarpathia contributes to the development, including civic identity, a sense of social responsibility for everything that happens in the country, and encourages the local journalistic community to cultivate tolerance, prevent interethnic conflicts, and counter information threats. Taking into account the complete implementation of the functions of Transcarpathian intercultural communication, the degree of effectiveness of their activities, the article also notes crisis processes in the modern media sphere of Transcarpathia. Some of them are caused by foreign policy circumstances, the war with Russia and informational aggression, problems of intergovernmental interaction, and therefore require special attention, correctness, and competence of journalists. Moreover, the issues of interethnic relations (especially in the educational and linguistic spheres) are strategic, related to national security, harmonious relations between Ukraine and neighboring Western states. Meanwhile, the online media of Transcarpathian ethnic groups are actively integrated into the intercultural communication system, occupying and maintaining their own segment in it.

Symposium Introduction: Multilingual, Multicultural, Migrant, and Diasporic Radio, Audio, and Podcasting

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationNotes on contributorsAnne F. MacLennanAnne F. MacLennan (Ph.D. Concordia University, 2001) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Her current research projects examine radio history, community radio, ethnic radio, poverty, and Canadian identities.Masudul BiswasMasudul Biswas (Ph.D. Louisiana State University, 2011) is an associate professor of communication at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland. His research interests are ethnic media, inclusion in journalism and diversity in media education.

Dlaczego przekazy polskojęzyczne nie są ciekawe dla młodych przedstawicieli mniejszości polskiej w Litwie?

Why is Polish-language media content not interesting for young representatives of the Polish minority in Lithuania? In this article, after briefly characterising the Polish minority in Lithuania, I describe the media that are available in the Polish language in Lithuania and then show why Polish-language media channels are not an attractive source of reference for young representatives of the Polish minority. At the same time, I explain the origin of young people’s aversion to ethnic media and what causes their exodus towards Lithuanian- and Russian-language media. In particular, I present cultural and historical reasons for the attractiveness of Russian-language media, which many young representatives choose as an alternative to Polish ethnic media. Finally, I reflect on the consequences of moving away from Polish-language media coverage and the future of the minority itself without it. I use narrative interviews conducted by me with young representatives of the Polish minority in Lithuania who came to Poland for educational purposes, mainly to study. Additional material also includes interviews with journalists working in minority media. I also use desk research analysis and a literature review.

Көші-қон контекстіндегі этникалық БАҚ-тың функционалдық сипаттамаларын анықтау мәселесі

This article explores the potential of ethnic media in organizing cross-cultural dialogue and fostering societal cohesion, as well as highlighting the concepts of migration. The purpose of this study is to study the phenomenon of ethnic media that are reaching a new level of actualization in modern geopolitical

Asian Australian media representation of First Nations sovereignty and constitutional change

This study explores levels of interest in and framing of Australian First Nations constitutional reform in minority ethnic media. A keyword search of mainstream English media in Australia and of media targeted at Chinese, Pakistani, Vietnamese and Indonesian Australian communities shows a relatively low level of interest in the publication of and government response to the Uluru Statement in the latter outlets compared to the English media. Framing analysis over an extended timeframe finds some interest in and broad support for Australian First Nations’ calls for constitutional reform in the Asian Australian media, as well as variation and suggestive correlations between framing and audience such as linking First Nations history to experiences of racism and exclusion of Chinese Australians. The study has implications both for any referendum for a First Nations Voice to Parliament and for scholarship on the role of minority ethnic media in the contemporary Australian public sphere.

Ethnic minority media as counter-hegemonic and agents of participation for minority communities

This article interrogates the extent to which ethnic minority media acts as tools for preserving minority cultures and identities and as counter-hegemonic to mainstream media’s representations of migrants in South Africa. It also discusses how diasporic ethnic media function as agents of participation for diasporic communities that are struggling to find a ‘home’ away from home. Mainstream media in South Africa, particularly tabloids, tend to represent the diasporic communities as petty criminals, prostitutes, robbers and accuse them of stealing the locals’ jobs. Most of these communities comprised by people of Asian descent – Pakistan, India – and the majority from African countries like Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopic, Nigeria, Somalia and Mozambique. Migrants are often labelled as ‘aliens’, and the entrepreneurship associated with these minority migrants is rarely reported by South Africa’s mainstream media. The article deploys the digital public sphere theory and the four models of alternative journalism. Using textual analysis of purposively selected stories and programmes of an online radio station, Radio Mthwakazi, this article concludes that ethnic minority media in South Africa challenges the hegemonic tendencies of mainstream media and, in the process, constructs multi-ethnic subaltern public spheres and acts as agents of participation.

“Everybody Thinks Public Libraries Have Only Books”: Public Library Usage and Settlement of Bangladeshi Immigrants in Canada

ABSTRACT Many public libraries in Canada offer services and programs for immigrants, including employment assistance to assist newcomers with their settlement in Canada. Using a mixed method research design, this study explores the use of public libraries by Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada including their use of public library settlement services, along with their pre-migration access to public library services. The study finds immigrants’ use of public libraries declines over time. However, it is also evident in this study that public libraries played a positive role in newcomers’ settlement into Canadian society. The findings related to the lack of familiarity with public libraries in a pre-arrival context highlight the importance of having a strong public library outreach program for immigrant populations. The author urges public libraries offering services to immigrants to make meaningful partnerships with pre-and post-arrival settlement agencies, local ethnic community and religious organizations, and ethnic media to spread the word about public library programs and services for immigrants.

Introducing Italy’s Intercultural Digital Media: Mapping the Landscape

ABSTRACT The paper focuses on a particular case of alternative media that emerged in Italy from the early 2000s offering alternatives to mainstream media coverage of immigration and cultural diversity. Involving practitioners of diverse immigrant backgrounds as well as of single Italian heritage, Italy’s intercultural digital media represent an under-researched media form with the potential to add complexity to and re-think the boundaries of the widely researched field of ‘ethnic minority media’. Drawing on a detailed mapping of the intercultural digital media landscape, the study critically examines the key dimensions of the platforms including the socio-cultural context of emergence, agenda, and organisational-economic structures. The analysis shows that while these platforms are geared towards more pluralist, inclusive and democratic media practices, the realisation of an inter-cultural media agenda grounded on common civic goals involves a careful cultural politics of negotiation with established discourses and funding resources. Furthermore, the transient nature of public and political debates situated in specific socio-cultural contexts determines the availability of funding opportunities and may limit the financial viability of the platforms. Overall, the study introduces and critically examines Italy’s intercultural digital media as an object of research potential by offering an insight into the possibilities and limitations of interculturalism in practice.

Catalyzing Storytelling in Communication Infrastructure Theory: A Study of Local Ethnic Media

ABSTRACT Communication infrastructure theory (CIT) suggests that an ethnic enclave’s communication infrastructure (CI) shapes the community’s unique social processes that give rise to social determinants of health. A well-integrated CI in ethnic enclaves that includes community-based organizations (CBOs), local ethnic media, and resident networks is positively associated with residents’ health outcomes. Through storytelling, CBOs and other community actors obtain and disseminate information, develop a sense of belonging to the community, and participate in problem-solving activities, including health-related ones. Local ethnic media can play an important role in building a network of neighborhood storytellers by catalyzing storytelling about local resources and problems. We propose three main categories of “catalyzing storytelling” by local ethnic media: 1) CBO stories, 2) geo-ethnic stories, and 3) presentation of root causes and solutions for community problems. This study examines the content of Boston Chinatown’s local ethnic news media outlet, Sampan, to assess the three categories of catalyzing stories. We analyzed a total of 340 news articles and one interview with the editor. The findings showed that Sampan tells stories in all three categories. Based on our findings, we further develop the concept of catalyzing as a communication process in CIT. This new concept in CIT has practical implications for public health communication as it demonstrates a process through which local ethnic media can foster community engagement and health. Health communicators should seek opportunities to work collaboratively with local ethnic media in ways that will serve to catalyze community.

Mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East: the history of origin and current state

The purpose of the article is to study the history of the emergence of the mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East and their current state. The author examines the factors of formation, functions and purpose, formal and substantive features, the main trends in the development of mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East in the context of the political, economic and socio-cultural situation of the XIX - XXI centuries. The geography of the study covers the entire Far Eastern Federal District and includes an analysis of the content of ethnic media operating on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Buryatia, the Khabarovsk Territory, the Sakhalin Region and other subjects of the Far Eastern region. The research, being philological in essence, is based on an interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing knowledge of various sciences: theory and history of journalism, ethnography, ethnology, cultural studies. General scientific methods (descriptive-analytical, system description, classification construction method), as well as special methods (historical, comparative, content analysis method), elements of the synchronic and diachronic method were used as the main research methods. The history of the formation of ethnic media and the problem-thematic originality of the national media of the Far Eastern region have not yet become the object of a comprehensive study of domestic scientists. The novelty of the work consists in a comprehensive study of the mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East in the historical and typological aspect, clarifying the qualitative characteristics of the Far Eastern media in the context of the formation of an actual structure of regional journalism.

Two nations in three worlds? Images of the US and China in ethnic, homeland, and host media

This study investigates disparities in the portrayals of US and China images across ethnic media, homeland media, and host media that are serving the Chinese migrants in the United States. A quantitative content analysis of 156 news articles was conducted. Results reveal that ethnic media share more similarities with homeland media than with host media, which adds empirical explanations to ethnic and homeland media’s commonalities in retaining migrants’ ethnic identity. This also signals a pervasive impact of homeland news organizations on overseas ethnic media – although ethnic media are registered by US citizens or permanent citizens in America, they are actually owned or operated by Chinese news companies. As a result, ethnic media may have followed the same journalistic practices as their counterpart agencies from China. Implications of these findings for public opinion are also discussed.

If They Only Disrespect Us a Little, and the Story is Interesting, I Keep Watching: Navigation of Ethnic Media Gratifications by Latino Teens

The goal of this study was to apply insights from social identity gratifications and ethnic/racial identity development frameworks to better understand how adolescents perceive, select, and avoid media content which has the potential to damage self-and group-concept. We conducted focus groups with 32 Latino adolescents aged 13 to 15. We found mixed evidence that youth prioritized the ethnicity of characters in program selection. Most referenced personality or age as the primary identity-based factors of interest. Although students widely recognized negative stereotypes of Latinos in mainstream English-language media, this did not overwhelmingly dictate media choices, seemingly due to lack of alternative choices. In contrast, Spanish language programming offered a positive alternative to English-language media and may serve identity needs. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Reproduction of “Petro-Nationalism” in Ethnic Media: A Case Study of WeChat Public Accounts’ Coverage of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Controversy

Over the past 2 decades, Alberta’s bitumen industry has emerged as a major point of contention in Canadian politics, with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) project being a recent controversy that has attracted both domestic and international media attention. This brief research report focuses on news coverage of TMX in a rarely studied form of ethnic media: WeChat newsfeeds (known as “public accounts”) targeting Chinese diasporas across Canadian metropolises. A thematic analysis of TMX-related WeChat articles published between January 2016 and May 2021 reveals an overall negative attitude toward the project’s opponents. This stance is mainly due to WeChat public accounts’ heavy reliance on the Canadian mainstream media’s framing of TMX. As a result, the Canadian mainstream media’s downplay of the climate emergency and decarbonization sets the news agendas of the surveyed WeChat public accounts. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop non-English alternative media to engage ethnic minority groups in broader public conversations on climate change mitigation.

Community-Engaged Strategies for Recruitment of Korean Americans in Community-Based Research Studies

With increasing numbers of researchers targeting ethnic minorities to address health disparities, it is important to address the unique needs of Korean American (KA) older adults—a “hard to reach” yet one of the most rapidly increasing ethnic and age groups in the nation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the main barriers to research participation and to identify facilitators for recruitment of older KAs. We have analyzed recruitment data pertaining to more than 10 community-based KA research studies we have conducted for the last ten years. There were a number of unique recruitment challenges in regard to the culture, language, and sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Examples of effective recruitment strategies included: aligning the research agenda with the priorities of the community; establishing collaboration with ethnic churches and ethnic media; recruiting and training bilingual volunteers and community health workers; and placing liaison research staff in the community.

Minority ethnic media: challenges for the future

ABSTRACT Minority ethnic media play a unique role in preserving the languages, shaping the identity, and improving communication and cohesion of the ethnic groups it represents. However, traditional ethnic media outlets such as television channels and printed media worldwide have been facing decreasing viewership, especially because of strong competition from Internet media. Obtaining the support of people in the targeted ethnic group is critical and challenging. This paper elucidates the obstacles—dwindling viewership, competition from new media, and debates on intragroup and intergroup (intercultural) communication—that minority ethnic television channels face in many societies. By using the Taiwanese minority ethnic channel Hakka TV as an example, this study examined audiences’ viewing behaviors with respect to both the terrestrial channel and its online platform. A National Survey on Hakka Population and Languages (supported by the Taiwan Hakka Affairs Council) and in-depth interviews were used to explore the relationships between ethnicity, language, and communication in ethnic media. The results indicate what ethnic media outlets should prioritize to increasing viewership. Methods by which these outlets can reach out to other ethnic groups and enhance multiculturalism are discussed.

Ethnic news and its effects on presidential approval among Chinese Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Ethnic media play important roles in constructing or reconstructing ethnic identity, facilitating the acculturation process, and encouraging political participation among ethnic groups. The current study investigated the moderation effects of ethnic news use on the relationships between political ideology and presidential approval among Chinese Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic when the virus was called the ‘Chinese virus' by some news media and the former U.S. President Donald Trump. Relying on a survey of Chinese Americans conducted between October and December 2020, the study showed that while conservative Chinese Americans were more likely than liberals to approve of the former president Trump, the effects of political ideology on the presidential evaluations were diminishing for people who used ethnic media more frequently to get news.

Messaging “en Español”: The Impact of Spanish Language on Linked Fate Among Bilingual Latinos

While the number of U.S. residents who speak non-English languages at home is on the rise, little is known about the sociopolitical implications of exposure to minority languages among multilingual speakers in the United States. This study analyzes whether exposure to Spanish, a U.S. minority language, impacts perceptions of linked fate among bilingual Latinos, and if so, whether the consumption of ethnic media amplifies this effect. Through a population-based survey experiment among bilingual Latinos, this study finds that Latinos who are exposed to content in Spanish are more likely to report in-group linked fate than their counterparts exposed to the same message in English. Moreover, these effects are stronger among consumers of Spanish-language news. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of minority languages and ethnic media on pan-ethnic identities and highlights the importance of the growing linguistic diversity in the United States.