Racializing the Audience: Immigrant Perceptions of Mainstream Canadian English-Language TV News

Abstract

This paper offers an analysis of a pilot project that examines the perceptions of English-language TV news among two racialized groups: self-identified Iranian-Canadians and Chinese-Canadians. This research indicates that, according to participants, mainstream Canadian English-language TV news does not necessarily offer racialized immigrant audiences a space through which to see themselves reflected accurately as part of Canada's rich social life beyond the celebration of ethnic events and festivals. Participants explained that they appreciated Canadian English-language television news, with important caveats. They would like to see the Canadian English-language television news media create spaces in which they could see their own ethnic, racial, cultural, and immigrant identities reflected within the backdrop of the Canadian multicultural state. Keywords: Ethnic audience; Audience analysis; Race in the mediaRésumé : Cet article présente l'analyse d'un projet pilote qui examine comment deux groupes raciaux différents perçoivent les actualités télévisuelles en anglais : les Canadiens iraniens et les Canadiens chinois. Cet recherche indique que, d'après les participants, les actualités télévisées grand public en anglais n'offrent pas nécessairement aux spectateurs provenant de minorités visibles immigrantes un espace où ils peuvent se reconnaître en tant que participants dans la riche vie sociale du Canada en dehors du cadre d'événements et de festivals ethniques. Les participants ont expliqué que, bien qu'ils apprécient les nouvelles télévisées canadiennes de langue anglaise, ils ont des réserves importantes à leur égard. En effet, ils aimeraient que ces médias créent plus d'espaces leur permettant de voir leurs propres identités ethniques, raciales, culturelles et immigrantes reflétées dans le contexte du multiculturalisme canadien.

Ethnic Minorities in the Mass Media: How Migrants Perceive Their Representation in Swiss Public Television

“…It is very interesting to see that the observations made by the discussants with regard to the representation of migrants or ethnic minority members in Swiss television show strong parallels to the results of some previous, similar studies from other countries (Mahtani 2008;Deuze 2006;Sreberny 2005;Christiansen 2004;Hafez 2002). Moreover, there are many aspects mentioned in the focus groups that resemble the results of numerous content analyses conducted in different countries like Great Britain, Sweden, or Germany-even if comparisons have to be cautious because of the big differences between the particular situations of migrants and social integration policies in these countries.…”

“…D'Haenens et al (2000) presented the dissatisfaction of several minorities in the Netherlands with their portrayal in the mainstream media. Mahtani (2008) described perceived mis-and underrepresentation of Iranian and Chinese minorities in the Canadian English-language media. Hafez (2002) interviewed members of the Turkish minority in Germany and they were also concerned with the inadequate and stereotyped depiction of the ethnic group in the German mainstream media.…”

Media Representations of Policies Concerning Education Access and their Roles in Seven First Nations Students’ Deaths in Northern Ontario

“…Newsrooms, for example, are becoming increasingly hegemonic in the sense that a few large corporations own the majority of Canadian daily newspapers. Mahtani (2008) has maintained that journalists today face a "fear of challenging the status quo" (p. 657), as any reporting that resists newsrooms' monolithic, colonial style of discourse can result in less job security. The Oka Crisis in 1990 serves as a recent and important reminder that the "us vs. them" discourse impacts contemporary media, in particular surrounding issues that polarize First Nations peoples and non-First Nations.…”

Gendered Violence, Cultural Otherness, and Honour Crimes in Canadian National Logics

“…Canadian media plays a key role in disseminating ideas about immigration, belonging, and assimilation (Mahtani 2008;Jiwani 2006;Henry and Tator 2002). Building on the work of critical race scholars of media and communications, Minelle Mahtani argues that English-language media in Canada present racial minorities and new immigrants from racialized and minoritized groups "as threats to the nation-state … linked invariably to crime and deviant patterns of behavior" (2008:640).…”