Sixth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Several studies, particularly those in sociology and social psychology, demonstrate that along with other institutions, mass media are one of the first to emerge every time a new group of migrants settles (Hickerson, 2016). However, these studies mostly focus on societies that do not share the same language. Therefore, their conclusions are apparent when they state that “ethnic media” helps navigate the hosting society and learn the local language for the newly-arrived immigrants. Drawing on Park’s ideas on “Ethnic and Foreign Media,” (1920, 1922, 1925), and considering the new patterns in South-South human migration, especially in Latin America and the former colonies, this study aims to, on the one hand, to distinguish the concept “Ethnic Media” from “Diasporic Media” regarding digital media created by and for migrant communities—particularly those sharing the same language; On the other hand, this research aims to analyze and document new Uses and Gratifications (Katz et al., 1973) that Venezuelan migrants in Chile and Colombia report over their experiences after consuming two different local news outlets of this kind: “El Vinotinto,” and “El Venezolano Colombia.” This research is a qualitative case study, based upon online one-on-one interviews with migrants in both Chile and Colombia to detect new categories of uses and gratifications, and two focus groups with the editorial teams of each news outlet. Findings highlight five new uses and other five new gratifications.