Ethnic Media, Diversity and Settlement: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This article examines the role of migrant media and communication in the long- and short-term settlement experiences of migrants through interviews with community leaders from seven migrant communities in South Australia. Bringing together literature on ethnic media and migrant settlement, multiple, interacting and overlapping forms of communication are incorporated into the analysis. These including traditional ethnic media, digital media and face-to-face communication. It is argued that the role of communication is best understood when migrants are taken as active ‘achievers and consumers’ who still face challenges to settlement. The results show the importance of migrant-controlled communication in providing a granular and tailored approach in which migrants are able to shape and determine the communication forms that best serve their needs. However, the paper also demonstrates the impact internal differences have on experiences of communication.