| |
Policies
and Practices 27
View from India:
Media and Minorities in Europe
The article presents a wonderful insight to the
author’s perception on media representation of minority groups in
Germany, in particular the migrant minority section. The problem of
accommodating migrant minorities with the mainstream German
population has been a nagging issue for quite some time in the
German public discourse. The most interesting part lies however in
the role of media in this respect. While there is a growing
awareness of recruiting migrant minorities theoretically - this
remains to be done in most local media houses. The B.B.C sets an
example by rendering key positions to migrant minorities in the
British society but broadcasters in the European Union have not
taken significant steps towards this. Hence we see a change in the
situation with an explosion of the migrant-minority media in recent
times. The author argues that the German media has to accept this
reality first before the larger society does so. He ends his paper
in optimism by claiming that with ‘improved coverage’ of
migrant-minority issues there would be a scope of co-existence of
both the German mainstream media and the Ethnic media.
The paper enumerates the author’s introspection that the French
society has undergone a major change. A society known for its legacy
of subjugation in terms of race has taken a bold step by allowing a
black journalist to present a popular, prime time t.v news programme.
The author uses extensive interviews conducted with nearly 100 media
professionals, civil servants, academics, politicians and
intellectuals to put forward his focal point. He traces the genesis
of migration in France and projects the change in the pattern of the
movement over the years. The problem however lies in the constant
denial of France to the increasing multiethnic makeover of the
society. Need of the hour is proper integration of the migrants
within the fold of the larger society. The author points out that
it is time the French media starts following its much vaunted ideals
of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
Essays by Subir Bhaumik and Sumon K
Chakrabarti
|
|
 |
