Ethnic Media, Transnational Politics: Turkish Migrant Media in Germany

Abstract

The past fifteen years have witnessed a veritable explosion of mass media productions that cross the boundaries of nation-states. Whereas the early 20th century saw territorial nation-states as the main container of broadcast media both structurally and politically, the late 20th century witnessed an interlinked de-territorialization and commercialization of electronic mass media. These developments have most prominently been linked to the emergence of global media conglomerates which operate across different continents in their pursuit of profits (McChesney and Schiller, 2003), prompting fears of cultural homogenization and the demise of pluralism. Less noted has been the diversification of broadcasting landscapes through satellite television in parts of the world such as the Middle East, where new communication technologies have helped to subvert different state broadcasting monopolies and censorship regimes (Sakr, 2002). And finally, even less attention has been given to smaller-scale, locally evolving efforts to produce broadcast media by groups who once were the most marginalized of mass media audiences, namely immigrants and diasporic populations. While these groups now have easy access via satellite and the internet to broadcast media from former ‘home countries’ and elsewhere, new technologies have also led to a proliferation of mass media created by and for migrants themselves.

A previous version of this chapter has been published by the author in New Perspectives on Turkey, Spring-autumn 2003, nos. 28–9: 107–31.