Communicating separation?

Abstract

Western European countries currently face much immigration from Eastern Europe and Asia. In Germany, Turkish migrants are the largest ethnic minority. Cohabitation is not yet a success story: some observers even fear the development of two separate cultures. Accordingly, public debate about the role of mass and ethnic media has risen. But what role do mass media and ethnic media play in the integration process? What is the role of'ethnic journalists'? In this article we discuss theoretical approaches to integration, cultural identity, and media consumption. We analyze the link between all three and present results pointing to the strong impact an ethnic online community has on the building of a hybrid cultural identity between majority and minority culture. We also discuss our findings on ethnic journalists' acculturation, self-conception, and audience evaluation.