‘The life of a new generation’: Content, values and mainstream media perception of transcultural ethnic media – An Austrian case

Abstract

This paper deals with transcultural ethnic media, that is, ethnic media with at least two additional fundamental benefits: (1) They provide space for and aim at different ethnic communities and (2) connect them to the major society. Additionally, they include inter- and transcultural content and provide (semi-)professional journalism. Content analyses with particular focus on the conveyed values as well as the perception of such a magazine ‒ biber, published in Vienna, Austria ‒ by traditional print media reveal that in reporting on issues not covered by mainstream media, transcultural magazines promote counter-public spheres on the one hand. On the other hand, they offer the majority society insights into ethnic communities. Mainstream media report much more frequently about such a transcultural magazine than about ‘classic’ ethnic media, evaluate it positively and see it as an important contribution to the media landscape. Overall, transcultural media play an important role in gaining bridging social capital.