Immigration and New Media: 'Diasporic Radio': A Preliminary Case Based in Milan

Abstract:     
Immigration is a structural dimension of Italian society and immigrants began to emerge as a "new" audience and a as “new” market for businesses. Multicultural media provides information to this new kind of audience, representing a necessary and indispensable basis in the process of social integration. Today they constitute the place of expression of cultural minorities in the sphere of public opinion.

This paper analyses the emerging phenomenon of diasporic radios in Milano and its evolution with the purpose of defining both its positioning and its growth trends from a qualitative point of view. Moreover, analysing the concentrations of foreign communities in the city it aims to figure out links and relationships that the communities of immigrants have with the programmes under investigation. In conclusion it addresses the issue of the tension between audiences and markets to determine the likely role on the industry from a social and economic standpoint.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 19

Keywords: immigration, media, radio, audience, public sphere

working papers series