[eccr] Press release: Online/More Colour in the Media co-organises "Minority Media in Europe: A Revolution from below?" Symposium in London

Press release:

ONLINE/MORE COLOUR IN THE MEDIA AIM HIGH WITH THE INITIAL EUROPEAN
MANIFESTO PLANS AT LONDON SYMPOSIUM


A significant Symposium entitled Minority Media in Europe: A Revolution
from below? took place on the 26 and 27 September at the London School
of Economics in London. The two-day event was co-organised by the
Media@LSE, the Media programme at the London School of Economics in
conjunction with Online/More Colour in the Media, and brought together
researchers, practitioners and Non Government Organisations from three
European projects: EMTEL, COST Action A16/PRECTE, and the European
Manifesto.

There were speakers from many European countries present over the two
days. Both days were split into workshops and discussions, with topics
concerning ethnic minority media at the forefront of everyones agenda.
The aim of the two-day event was to discuss vital issues that affect
ethnic media and to develop strategies for improvement with researchers,
practitioners and non-government organisations (NGOs) present.

The Chair of Online/More Colour in the Media, Ed Klute, said: It is a
new experience to have a collaboration between researchers and
practitioners. Practitioners are often making programmes without
realising in which context their programmes are taking place. The
researchers dont always reflect on what the effects are of their
findings on inclusion and exclusion of groups. This Symposium is
important for bringing people from different areas together to
understand each others points of view.

The first day of the Symposium dealt with Mapping Minority Media on a
National and Transnational level, and presenting case studies on
Transnationalism and Particularities.  The speakers included Ralf
Kauranen and Salla Touri from Abo Akademi University in Finland, Connie
Caroe Christiansen from the Danish National Institute of Social
Research, Isabelle Rigoni from the University of Warwick and Sari Hanafi
from the Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Centre. There were
presentations and discussions on the diaspora mapping minority media
research (by EMTEL).

Included on the first day, Online/More Colour in the Media presented two
working sessions. In the first one, an update was given on developments
of the platforms (to be) for Migrant and Refugee Media by
representatives from various European countries participating in the
European Manifesto project. Every country has different structures for
the support of these media, but the problems they encounter are similar.
The transnational network of platforms united in this project, will
continue to support each others efforts and exchange their good
practices in order to benefit as a whole, but especially to improve the
situation for Migrant and Refugee Media on local levels.

Within the next two years, Online/More Colour in the Media aim to show
results, that will be part of a European Manifesto- a document that
supports and underlines the importance of the Migrant and Refugee Media.
This was discussed in the second working session and showed how the
Manifesto can be used on the local, national and European level. It will
support the struggle for recognition within ethnic groups and promote a
broadcasting environment that is more aware of their needs and the role
their media play in pluriform societies. The Manifesto will be adapted
to national situations, and aims to be the basis for lobby and training
on how to use it for the purposes for which it is being developed.

Ed Klute said: A lot of information at the two day Symposium was a good
basis for the European Manifesto. It is vital for us to have information
on a national level and a commitment to the idea of the Manifesto.
Participants here are more willing and motivated to get involved towards
the idea of a European Manifesto, as they gain more understanding. The
next step for Online/More Colour in the Media is to make steps towards a
draft for the Manifesto.

The second day merged together both researchers and practitioners with
interesting results. The day started with a 2-hour session on Minority
or Diaspora? Media and Exclusion in Multiethnic Europe. Brigitta Busch
from Klagenfurt University in Austria spoke on whether languages and
codes were an issue on different media levels. Myria Georgiou (LSE)
presented different possibilities for the democratisation of diasporic
communication on-line while Prof. Roger Silverstone (LSE) developed an
analysis of minority media as a counterpoint.

The future of Ethnic Media was discussed in the afternoon session, with
Rui Monteiro from IndvandrerTV in Denmark. Sara Wajid, ex-editor of
Black Media Journal, spoke about the necessity of independent media
especially for bringing information into mainstream media from migrant
(media) perspectives. Nachida Baba Aissa from Echanges et Productions
Radiophoniques (EPRA), in France highlighted how they co-operate with
community radio stations and local migrant media in exchanging and
broadcasting radio programmes. She explained how a large proportion of
the listeners of the radio was from a North African background.

There was further room for question and answer sessions, and smaller
groups were set up in parallel working sessions to discuss three main
factors. These were research, production and access, and policy. The
parallel working sessions revealed research themes that need to be
developed  in the field of media and minorities, as well as developments
needed in the sphere of production and access and policies. It also
highlighted the progress made as a whole in different areas.
Participants from different countries voiced their concerns on the three
key areas.

The Symposium concluded with the Chairs of the sub-groups on the
Parallel Strategic sessions presenting their results. It became clear
that a lot of research still has to be done, and that ways are being
sought to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners.

>>From the point of view of Online/More Colour in the Media the event was
successful. It provided for possibilities of working together with
researchers on the European Manifesto. On Line/More Colour in the Media
hopes that researchers will pick up the areas of research revealed which
need to be studied not only to better understand media and minorities
issues, but also to channel findings into constructive policies which
practitioners and NGOs need in their work.


END

Supported by the European Commission: DG Employment, Industrial
Relations & Social Affairs Community Action Programme to combat
Discrimination 2001-2006



Note:
http://www.multicultural.net - More information on OnLine/More Colour in
the Media
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/Media/EMTEL/Minorities/workshop.html - More
information about the Workshop
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/Media/EMTEL/Minorities/minorities.html -
More  information on European Media Technology and Everyday Life Network
(EMTEL) http://www.vub.ac.be/SCOM/COST/COST16.html - More information on
Policy and Regulatory Responses to the Use of  Electronic Communication
Technologies by ransnational Communities in Europe (COST/PRECTE)


--------------------
Note for the editors [not for publication]: for more information you can
contact Esther Lubenau at Mira Media, Tel. : +31-(0)30-2302240, Email:
(eslube /at/ miramedia.nl)


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Mariaplaats 3-1  Postbus 1234
3511 LH  Utrecht 3500 BE Utrecht
Nederland  Nederland

Tel. : +31-(0)30-2302240
Fax. : +31-(0)30-2302975
Email: (info /at/ miramedia.nl)

http://www.miramedia.nl
http://www.multicultureelplein.nl
http://www.multicultural.net
http://www.11-september.nl
http://www.replay4me.nl
_____________________________________________________________________



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