MEDIA CONSUMPTION BY THE GHANAIAN COMMUNITY IN ÖREBRO, SWEDEN

(1)

Örebro University

School of Humanities

Education and Social Sciences

Date: 28/05/2015

MEDIA CONSUMPTION BY THE GHANAIAN COMMUNITY

IN ÖREBRO, SWEDEN

MA Thesis

Journalism Connected

Supervisor: Prof. Michał Krzyżanowski Author: Maureen Kayinza

(2)

ABSTRACT

The study examines the usage of media by the Ghanaian new migrants living in Örebro

Sweden. It looks at how the new migrants keep abreast with what is happening in Sweden, their home country Ghana and the rest of the world. The findings show that, the growing numbers of migrants and the kind of diasporic media have significant implications for imagining multicultural Sweden and for participating in European societies and transnational communities. What is argued here is how the new migrants will make use of the diasporic media for their benefit.

This study further investigates how the diaspora use the media, it is not to show that society is different or to make impulsive statements on the role of certain media in contributing to

integration per se of the new migrants in their host countries.

Through qualitative interviews, the study reveals that new migrants find it difficult to make use of the Swedish public sphere. The mainstream media is aloof in everything that interests and benefits new migrants. However alternatives like the internet have tended to close the information gap that the mainstream media has created among the new migrants. Sadly the internet does not play the role that the main stream media would have for new migrants into the Swedish public sphere because the information new migrants’ access is varied and there is no motivation to help them easily get into Swedish public sphere as would have been the case with Swedish mainstream media.

Information analysed from the interviews conducted in Örebro indicates that new migrants rely more on the internet than Swedish mainstream media regardless of the length of stay in Sweden. The most affected are those who have lived in Sweden for less than two years and have not acclamatized themselves with the Swedish language which would have enabled them to read Swedish publications, listen to Swedish radio broadcasts and watch Swedish television broadcasts. This, coupled with programmes that help new migrants to make use of the Swedish public sphere would have made Sweden a truly multicultural society.

Finally the study suggests areas of further study and research that can be explored in order to promote multiculturalism that Sweden strives to achieve through its policy. The limitations that the study points out only help a researcher to avoid situations that could limit the benefits of the study thereby accessing information that develops and promotes multiculturalism where it is lacking currently.

(5)

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This publication has been produced during my scholarship period at Örebro University, thanks to a Swedish Institute Scholarship.

I acknowledge the effort of all my lecturers throughout my study at Örebro University thank you. From the time I stepped at Örebro University till I completed my studies, if it were not for you to guide us I would have given up along the way but you encouraged us and showed us the way.

Special thanks to all my friends who stood with me during the course of my study. To Örebro University staff especially the school of Humanities, thanks for all your endeavours.

To my supervisor who has seen me through this research I know it was not easy, Thank you for your time and expertise.

(6)

3

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Overview

The purpose of this research is to findout how new migrants make use of media rather than for intergration and how it benefits them. This help us bring to light how the migrants use media and the type of media they access on a daily basis. Sweden is known as one of the strongest actors in the media market of all the developed countries around the world. In European societies and transnational communities, diasporic media have significant implications for imagining multicultural Europe and participation.

This research explains some of the challenges new migrants have to face as they get assimilated with a new enviroment. In Sweden, it’s estimated that; 93 daily newspapers are printed out. It also has 169 television stations and about 267 radio stations, these entail government owned media and private which indicates that everyone has access to programmes broadcast in both print and electronic media. Accordingly, there are newspapers written in other languages and can be easily accessed on their web sites.

Therefore the aim of this research is to examine how new African migrants living in the diaspora use media in different forms to keep abreast with what is happening back home as a sense of belonging and in Sweden so they are well informed of what’s happening. This study is a link to scholarly writers like Georgious Myria, Charles Husband, Karina Horsti and Connie Carøe Christiansen among the many writers expressing their concerns on media use and representation by migrants. The researcher wants to carry out a modest study on a specific group, conducted among West Africans, specifically Ghanaians living in Örebro municipality who formed the further exploration of the usage of media and its practice among the Africans.

The research focused on the use of media by the diaspora specifically looking at the new African migrants, who want to keep abreast with what is happening around them and this will later be shown by the respondents’ interviews. The research includes the statement of the problem, justification of the study, objective of the research, and the main objective, plus the limitations.

(7)

4

1.1 Background to the study

Sweden is estimated to have taken in about 21, 432 African new migrants’ in 2014 alone. According to a 2009 country profile report, it is estimated that 1,227,770 migrants live in Sweden, and 13.7 per cent of these were born abroad. The influx of new migrants to Sweden has been brought about by wars, workers and students plus Swedish natives returning to their homeland. The increase of migrants has not only affected Sweden but also the neighbouring countries like Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland, though Sweden has taken on the biggest share of immigrants in Europe (Focus Migration, Country Profile No.18 December

2009).

For good integration both place and space are important elements for understanding diaspora, diasporic dislocation, relocation and the processes of deteritorialisation and reterritorialisation that characterise the real and the imagined diasporic experience. Diasporic minorities live within specific locales, national and transnational spaces. Social relations and communication within and beyond diasporic communities take place in spaces (Georgiou, 2006, Pg.490). While Radio Sweden provides weekly news in various languages including English, (http://sverigesradio.se/newsinotherlanguages ) the television does not. However in Sweden, the communities that have media access in their dialect include, Arabs, Somalis, Syrians, Persians, Bosnia, Kurds, Turks, Tigrinia, Thai, Ryska, Filipino and Albania. These communities have access to both television and radio programmes as opposed to Africans migrants whose access to televison programming is through Swedish programming in English subtitles.

Miglietta, Tartaglia (2009), suggest that individuals entering a new culture could attain a higher level of adaptation by being exposed to host country mass media and through greater interaction with members of the new culture. Mass media (mainly TV and newspapers) may be thought of as social and cultural agents that might well facilitate the acculturation process through the spreading of norms and values.

Georgiou (2006), continues to say that diasporic communities sustain and partly depend, for their shared sense of identity, on transnational communictions. But the national and local context where diasporic populations live is equally important for the construction of meanings of community and identity, especially as inclusion, exclusion and participation in the broader society are largely grounded in national and local space. Therefore while Arabs, Somalis, Syrians, Persians, Bosnia, Kurds, Turks, Tigrinia, Thai, Ryska, Filipino and Albanians are fully catered for in the media arena the Africans are at the mercy of media

(8)

5 subtitles which is also confined only on television there by giving them restrictive media programming.

While language skills have some consequences for what kind of media one can utilize for example whether one chooses radio, television, internet etc, the selection of media is further determined by the kind of news one finds within each media in the language preferred (Connie,2004,192)

1.2 Statement of the problem

Media is the greatest source of information that people seek in order to keep abreast with what is happening elsewhere. For one to be able to enjoy the consumption of media, certain key aspects must be taken into consideration; one of which is language with which information gets to the people. The problem therefore this study is focusing on is the challenge of the migrants in accessing information relayed by the media in Sweden.

The knowledge gap this study seeks to fill is one where the African communities have access to media programming in English in the same way that the other communities have programming in their local dialect as opposed to English subtitles to Swedish programming. It is hoped that this study will bring to light the need to have English broadcasts for the benefit of the growing African population and not merely subjecting them to English subtitles in Swedish programming which is inconviencing to the viewer. It is also hoped that the radio and other media consider English use for the benefit of the English speaking population.

1.3 Main Objective

The objective of the study is to examine the need for new migrant oriented media and its ability to meet the needs of the new migrants in Örebro municipality.

This study attempts to respond to the following set of questions;

1.3.2 Research Questions

1. What is the usage of media among new migrants?

2. What is the response of migrants to Swedish media in Örebro?

(9)

6

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

Today’s world is characterised by multiculturalism in different parts of the world. This can be seen in both developed and developing countries. There will always be movement of people from one country to another for employment, economic growth and escape from conflict and insecurity. In different societies this has been embraced with different perceptions; sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. Unfortunately migration is not about to end but is instead on the rise as many people seek to fulfil different aspirations.

Media is a tool of communication for every human being around the world. The people in diaspora are not exceptional in the usage of media however the options of the channels of media to be used are varied depending on the individual and the accessible modes of communication.

A statement from the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communication 2002 about migrants rights in Sweden states;

“The goal of the integration policy is to ensure equal rights, obligations and opportunities for all, irrespective of their ethnic and cultural background” (Swedish Ministry of Integration and

Gender Equality 2009)

The expectation one would get from the above statement is, there’s an effort to ensure that migrants’ populations do have access to equal rights, obligations and opportunities in Sweden however it remains a challenge to whether this is achievable given that they are not citizens and therefore cannot be equal to citizens. The fact that there is an effort to incorporate equal rights to the integration policy gives hope that multiculturalism is important to the Swedish government. However, looking further into the issue of media usage and multicultural public spheres, there is not a government ministry responsible for multiculturalism. The Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality oversees issues related to integration and anti-discrimination, a policy adopted in 1997 which gives provision for the Ombudsman to police against ethnic discrimination as well as a study of migrants’ participation and influence in society (Swedish Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality 2009). This creates a paradox where implementation of the policy either hits a snug or it ceases to be a priority.

(10)

7 The Swedish ministry states that migrants are entitled to equal opportunities just like the Swedish natives; to participate and have influence in a multicultural society. However multiculturalism in Sweden is yet to be realised and be fully implemented because there is still use of English subtitles in the news which does not give the viewer the opportunity to appreciate the pictures being flashed and connect to the news story. The better option in this case would have been to employ an English speaking anchor for the English news segment rather than a Swedish to read news with English subtitles. Karina (2008, Pg. 275), believes that, that is why media performance related to migration and the multicultural society is varied.

In 2006, Georgiou suggested that studying of diasporic media cultures in their complexity, beyond the cultural singularities and moral panics, can help us understand what is different and what is common in the European cultural space, what is shared and what is not between minorities and majorities. Such debates invite us to think how media cultures might bring together, represent and include difference and how they might exclude it and lead to conflicts between different groups.

Different media like radio, television and newspapers serve as the main sources of information. However there are other sources of information that can be used to access media in the local dialect by people in the diaspora like satellite television and radio, the internet and telephones, which meet the demands of the new migrants’ as they seek information.

The usage of media by the diaspora is a challenge for most of the new migrants in Europe, since they are not linguistically knowledgeable in their new location. Research carried out in Sweden by Karina (2008), established that new migrants and minority groups use multicultural public spheres to get information regarding issues happening around them. In this research, the focus was the use of media by new African migrants and its purpose.

According to Connie (2004 191,) argues that immigrant populations in Europe do indeed prefer to watch television channels that transmit in their mother tongue and primarily broadcast news from the homeland. This ceases to be a social issue as it is justified by the respondents during the interviews. Connie further writes that knowledge of English is essential in this context, because the international news channels availabe on cable televisions ‘packages’ transmit predominantly in English.

(11)

8

2.1.1 Public Sphere

In a classical liberal theory, the public sphere (or the more traditional terminology ‘public forum’) is the space between government and society in which private individuals exercise formal and informal control over the state; formal control through election of government and informal control through the pressure of public opinion. The media are central to this process. They distribute the information necessary for the citizens to make an informed choice at election time; they facilitate the formation of public opinion by providing an independent forum of debate; and they enable the people to shape the conduct of the government when they articulate their views. The media are thus the principal institutions of the public sphere or, in the rhetoric of nineteenth-century liberalism, “the fourth estate of the realm” (Curran,

1991, P.2). In Sweden, the media plays the role of distributing information to the populace so

they can make informed decisions when dealing with important issues, such as policies. However, the media has not catered for the new migrant who is not able to grasp and understand the news content being disseminated during broadcasting especially of issues concerning the society. Public spheres are supposed to ease an individuals’ life when they move to a new place but one finds out that, that may not be true as the new migrant will seem to be left out or lost in regards to information.

Public spheres should be effectively utilized by countries as a potential tool for promoting change especially when looking at migration in a country that has just embraced it. Therefore the public sphere is regarded as an ideal type construct. The inadequate use of public sphere is a flawed template for a democratic society within which the fight to communicate is actively pursued and significantly established (Husband, 1996, Pg. 7).

It is therefore important that attention be given to public sphere in order to enhance multiculturalism in countries like Sweden. In Sweden, information is availed to everyone and anyone resident in Sweden. They are able to access information which is a great way of having an open society and system. According to findings new migrants may not have the capacity to understand due to the language barrier therefore the media who are the public sphere have a role to play in making the new migrant access this information in a way understandable to them. Critics have pointed out that even in western democracies actually existing public spheres fall short of the ideal in various ways (Bernal, 2006, P.165).

Husband (1996) contends that Public spheres in any developed country should endeavour to adjust to diversity in the society. The state, he continues, must through its communication policy, fulfil its second generation function of enabling an appropriate infrastructure for a

(12)

9 multi-ethnic society. In addition, a public service broadcasting system should be included with a responsibility to guarantee the representation of diversity. This could include both subsidised ethnic media including, if necessary, disadvantaged sectors of the dominant ethnic group and a national public service broadcasting system with a remit to guarantee the representation of diversity within each medium (Ibid, Pg. 10).

According to Georgiou (2013) she states that, while new media might open up new space for communication and information exchange, they can often adopt ‘old’ media systems of representation. This is the case for example with many online news media, which reproduce news agendas and language familiar to audiences through print media (Ibid, pg 83). This is the reason as to why New African migrants will opt more for the new media which is used to keep update with community back home and their new home. Media is used as a medium to know what is happening back home and for local community building in their host countries in order not to feel detached from their homeland but yet still integrate in their new home.

2.2 What is the response of new migrants to Swedish media in Örebro? 2.2.1 Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism refers to the existence of sub-cultures within a national society. It does not normally extend to the multiplicity of national cultures that characterise the world. The culture in this context is not the web of institutions, symbols and meanings enveloping a nation. The “culture” in multiculturalism is composed of the norms, values and practices particular to specific groups and communities within a society. It is of a lower order than societal culture. Mohammad A. Qadeer (2007).

According to Mitchell and Salsbury (1996), The Swedish Constitution adopted the implementation of multiculturalism in school curriculum by integrating multicultural principles in the schools, emphasising equality and required that the curriculum be in accordance with democratic principles.

The Broadcasting Charter provides for the inclusion of ethnic representation by the Swedish media to promote multicultural public sphere. The Broadcasting charter requires the Swedish mainstream media Sveriges Television (SVT) to include programmes “to reflect the many different cultures and cultural manifestations in Sweden.” SVT is required to “offer the general public events, concerts and other cultural activities from different cultural spheres, taking place throughout the nation. It is also tasked with observing “the special needs of linguistic and cultural minorities (Sverige Television 2010, Pg. 3)

(13)

10 Horsti (2008), affirms that Sweden as a multicultural society has come up with initiatives to integrate different cultures in the mainstream media by fostering careers of journalists with a migrant background and studies among young people with migrant families in the Nordic. This, she adds, has been met with challenges that include structural issues, cultural competences and cultural-structural mechanisms. Additionally, the aim of having diversity in mainstream media maybe a dream for most migrants as they have a low level of mastery of the Swedish language and the assumption of poor language skills(Ibid, Pg.284). In Sweden, the programmes for integration are available but the challenge is implementation. By observation an individual who does not have mastery of the Swedish language and skills to work as the Swedes do then integration becomes a huge obstacle. This still does not answer the question of why Sweden does not integrate other languages for instance from Africa into its mainstream media during important broadcasts, like news being done in English, as many Swedish people understand English. The challenge of subtitled News makes many miss out on what is being broadcast on television because of the difficulty of concentrating on both subtitles and the pictures showing. It gets worse with radio as there is no opportunity for translation.

Connie (2004), observed that Rosengården, a housing area in a suburb in Malmö, Sweden has the highest proportion of migrants as well as satellite dishes which implies that the migrants still have an attachment back home which necessitates keeping in touch through satellite dishes which is easily available and accessible to migrants. Connie further attributes this situation to the formation of ethnic groups to be able to keep abreast with information in a language understood by migrants as being counterproductive to integration of these migrants to the wider society (Ibid, pg. 186). In Sweden, migrants from the same countries tend to live in a community as back home in order to keep abreast with news media on what is happening back home and in the host country. This has created a community that feels left out when it comes to integration. The challenge faced by new migrants is the language barrier that leads them to settle among the communities, instead of living among the native of the host country to be able to accustom themselves with the culture of host country. Apart from The Local, an English paper in Sweden, the new migrant desires to know more about what is happening but is limited because of a language that is not easily understood if one does not go through all the stages to study it.

Connie (2004) makes reference to a study carried out in Britain in which the findings showed that Sweden and Germany migrant families access news via the satellite and are less likely to watch national channels of their present host countries because they feel excluded from the

(14)

11 space of the host country media. She asserts that not all migrants access news or information via satellite and therefore do not often access home news. Such migrants, she adds, simply desire to get integrated into the new society by consuming the mainstream media in order to have a sense of belonging in their host countries. In Sweden, the space for migrants to access news or information has been provided but the challenge is the language, therefore the new migrants are forced to search for information via the satellite. The search for information has caused the new migrants to look elsewhere for information and news in a language well understood, in order to fill the space of feeling excluded from the new environment.

According to Weibull and Wadbring (1998), ethnic minorities in Sweden watch the Swedish national news alongside homeland newscast and a high number among the ethnic minorities view all news programmes more than the majority of the Swedish population (pg. 59-60). The depiction of migrants by the Swedish mainstream media as being vulnerable has been met by some criticism voiced by migrants. Many of the critics, from mainly African descent, find that their countries are misrepresented in the Swedish media. The hunger for news and information by the new migrants has been cited according to Weibull and Wadbring. The decision for the new migrant to do this, is to be informed about what’s happening in the host country and back home. This helps the new migrant to see how they can fit in and learn more about the culture of their new home.

Most migrants have a very mixed media news diet, using radio, newspapers, television and the internet at different times of the day and week for different purposes (Connie, 2004). This is an indication that for countries like Sweden it is inevitable to have an open policy which allows different migrant and minority oriented media established to cater for different people who consume different media. The freedom to open up space for all kinds of media be it electronic or in print is to meet the needs of migrants. They deserve and desire to consume news in order to be kept updated with what is happening around the world and also to feel enclosed in the new society. (Connie, 2004, Pg.185)

“Since the Swedish and German studies also contend that ethnic minorities read both foreign and domestic newspapers, we can conclude that ethnic minorities do not limit their news sources to one medium ... rather they spread themselves among several news providers” (Connie, 2004, Pg. 196)

Space and liberty should be given to migrants in Sweden and other developed countries in Europe to establish an electronic or print media to be consumed by the migrants and minority groups.

(15)

12 Kenny 2010, cites Ireland as an example that has more migrant oriented media, for instance the Polski Herald a special news supplement launched in 2005 for the polish immigrants. City channel that integrated a little foreign language and foreign culture programming into their schedule. Dublin city FM transmits eight series described as “ethnic” including African scenes, Bollywood masala, the Korean show and two Polish and two Russian weekly programmes. It has further given opportunity to, The East coast FM that has programmes for migrants repeated four times each week also Near FM, found in North Dublin, has devoted one hour on Wednesday evenings to polish weekly programme. He further cites more examples like RTÉ, the state owned broadcaster of Ireland, that provides a weekly evening radio platform for migrant cultures that serve dual purpose of airing cultures and pleasing wider audiences by showcasing matters of intercultural or multicultural amusement and interest plus a Nigerian owned print newspaper. (Ibid, Pg.315). Therefore multicultural public spheres are a necessity in a multicultural society to enable assimilation into the society and to give a sense of belonging. The structure of migrant oriented media if well integrated into the society noticeably makes the new migrants part of their new home.

2.2.2 National approaches to multiculturalism in public spheres

Ireland and Denmark are well studied point of view of multiculturalism of public spheres. Media in Sweden constructs social-cultural risks in ways that suggest that the risks are brought about by migration itself (Petersson, 2006); negative reporting by the media about migrants has contributed to wrong perceptions by the natives of the country and has greatly affected migrants and minority groups sustaining their marginalisation from the wider society.

According to Karina (2008), the coverage of the fire in Göteborg, where a number of ethnic

minority youth died (during a discotheque bonanza), reveals to the mainstream media that the

editorial rooms did not have contacts with the people affected by the tragedy. Still, Journalists with an migrant background are often regarded as having a poorer understanding of the Swedish culture and society than native Swedes do. This also gives a negative perception of journalism as a profession among the migrants living in Sweden. It is no wonder that migrants in Sweden choose to study other courses other than journalism (Karina 2008, Pg. 285). In Sweden, dealing with multicultural public spheres indicates how the mainstream media failed as the watchdog or as a voice to the voiceless by not embracing diversity within its system and the lack of ethics when it comes to reporting news. The media acted in a discriminatory and unprofessional manner when it did not pick up the story that involved the

(16)

13 suffering and death of migrants after a fire in a discotheque. This shows that there is poor relationship between the media and migrants.

“Migrants have been finding their own voices in Ireland, although their voices are not loudly heard by Irish citizens or even by immigrants from other countries” (Kenny,

2010, Pg.1)

Multicultural public spheres, has brought about tremendous change in the society. This can be noted in the media of some countries in developed countries. In Europe some countries have easily embraced multicultural tendencies while others struggle to cope with it. Ireland is among the many countries that have shown change. It has dealt with multiculturalism in a way that has given migrants an opportunity to start up their own migrant oriented media, thus finding their own expressions in a foreign land. However, exploring matters of intercultural and multicultural interests have shown how Ireland has coped with multiculturalism and embracing of different cultures in the society, where new immigrants were integrated fully in all aspects of life in their new found homes.

The rise of new migration in Ireland brought about change in the social and cultural mix of the state (Kenny 2010). Though the changes have not noticeably resulted in major alternations to the employment practices or editorial policies of mainstream media organisations, there has been some impact on media landscape. (Pg.1) Sweden can look at Ireland as a model country to learn from and try to possibly integrate new migrants into the society and bring about change in media coverage through embracing different cultures. This should help the new migrants feel they belong to the new home environment. It can be achieved if media changes its views and policies regarding new migrants. Media also as a public sphere should be used to educate the masses about the advantages of having different cultures in society and the positive impact of a multicultural society.

In a country like Denmark, multiculturalism is yet to be embraced in the society. Due to poor representation of migrants in the news, tension among the ethnic minorities and the majority population continues to build up; this has contributed to the failure of the ethnic majority to be fully granted full citizenship and have been excluded from the media. Greatly leading to the marginalisation of the migrants and thus, not having any public spheres to exercise informal or formal opinions from an informed point of view. Thus the migrants prefer to get information from international sources rather than the mainstream media (Karina, 2008, Pg. 287).

(17)

14 Research carried out as early as the 1980s and the 1990s, on news coverage about migrants in Sweden is still undergoing development. Sweden is presented as a dream country to live in but for migrants to fit in properly one has to aim at being a Swede and also strive to adapt to Swedish culture (Horsti, 2008, Pg.282). Different countries deal with multiculturalism in different ways, just as seen in Sweden. The goal of Sweden is to rescue migrants from their backward lifestyle and in Norway they stress the superpower of human rights (Ibid).

2.3 What is the copying mechanisms for consumption of Swedish media by new migrants?

According to Myria (2005), the role of satellite dishes in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods have become the ultimate symbol of ethnic segregation in the eyes of some local authorities. Migrants in Sweden have opted for the use of digital satellite Television broadcasting for consumption of news. This is an alternative media to the use of internet that has been one of the key tools used by migrants. The mass media (mainly satellite TV) can also help migrants to maintain cultural contacts with their homelands, thereby contributing to fostering in- group identity (Anna & Stefano, 2009). In Sweden, the digital satellite broadcasting makes migrants feel at home though far way and for purposes of finding identity within a foreign country where they feel they have not been fully integrated. Seeking news is one of their targets so as to keep abreast with what is happening in their homeland and getting information that cannot be accessed through the mainstream media in their new found homeland.

Myria (2006) further writes that, the fast-growing number of minority media projects and diverse technology appropriations, combined with the visibility of difference they entail (e.g. satellite dishes, different television programmes, internet cafes, various language broadcasts), bring mediation into the heart of debates on inclusion, integration and democracy in Europe. There is an exponential increase of the use of digital satellite among the immigrants or minority communities in Sweden because of the desire to access news broadcasts of their homelands. What the Swedish mainstream media may provide is often limited and does not give information that the migrants seek. Therefore, the commonality of this type of medium is that they address particular ethnic, linguistic and or religious groups that live within broader and diverse multicultural societies (Ibid).

According to Bernal (2006), the internet promotes rational analyses of the alternatives; the general answer would seem to be that it does not. Compared with centralised media that are regulated and subject to editorial oversight, the internet has fewer barriers to forms of expression that might be deemed inappropriate elsewhere. She further asserts the internet

(18)

15 offers good possibilities for creating public spheres that achieve some of the values of access, status equality and, if not always rational discourse then perhaps what is even more important, free expression (Ibid). Therefore in Sweden it is crucial to cater to the migrant media needs, for instance Ireland’s mainstream media has taken a role of catering for migrants media needs. News coverage that caters to the needs of immigrants is varied with provision made for supplementary news and special programming for migrants’ population in print or on-line (Kenny, 2010). It promotes multiculturalism and respect for one another. Sweden, as a country needs to implement this approach so as to encourage multiculturalism and the use of public spheres.

Andreas (2011), argues that beside a ‘big’ mass media, ‘small’ media of personal communications – like the telephone, letters, family videos etc are especially important for the cohesion of Diasporas. He further says; a stronger focus on digital media (the internet, mobile telephone) is shared by Diminescu when she speaks of the ‘connected migrants’. In this concept she suggests that the advent of the internet and mobile telephone introduced a comprehensive communicative connectivity into migrants’ lives. She further asserts that, their lives are marked by the accessibility of VOIP (voice of internet), e-mail, music downloads from their place or country of origin. These mediums are of importance to the migrants especially if they want to know more about what is happening back home. In Sweden, one of the most used medium for communication is the internet and its easily accessed by everyone. The internet, has contributed to solving issues of communication barrier especially where English is not the first language of the country therefore new migrants have not been left out totally on world events.

When a country’s mainstream media does not cater for the needs of its viewers, the users will look for alternative media that cater for their needs and not feel the pressure of not fitting into the society where one resides. Therefore, according to Bernal (2006), “the internet is a means of circulating ‘information’ and the positing of a digital divide in terms of ‘access’ to computers deflect attention from the deeper problem of understanding what makes digital communications meaningful to readers and posters and treats like content as self-evident when these need to be critically examined and analysed”. In Sweden there's little to identify with when it comes to using the media which is published in Swedish language, especially for those who don't understand the Swedish language. This may give rise to factors like depression and criminal tendencies as the mind is redundant for long.

(19)

16 The use of alternative media by the diaspora has contributed greatly to the migrant livelihood through creating a sense of belonging back home and if their contributions create change then more use of internet to connect with others. Due to such media the use of public spheres by the diaspora participating in elections back home for instance the Eritreans have had a great influence on the formation of their country's political system? Bernal (2006), says Eritreans in the diaspora use the internet as a transnational public sphere where they produce and debate narratives of history, culture, democracy and identity (Bernal 2006, Pg.162). This has greatly contributed to the development of Eritrea in regard to national institutions and political culture.

Denmark, as one of the Nordic countries, is determined to produce news programmes in minority languages even when other Nordic countries are under pressure to reflect the different ways of orienting themselves in the world currently existing in the European population but is yet to become a reality. Its mainstream media is highly consumed by the migrants though it has challenges of misrepresenting them sometimes. About 73 percent of migrants especially from Turkey consume the media by watching television which is preferred and then about 10 percent of the natives consume media by television for only four hours. This is an indication of how migrants desperately want to be up-to-date on what is happening around them and in the world.

“Yesterday the motto was: immigrate and cut your roots; today it would be: circulate and keep in touch” (Hepp, el al, 2011, Pg.21)

In Örebro, Sweden, the Ghanaians consume media by use of the internet, to get information and use mobile phones to call friends to get updates on what may be happening around. In times of globalisation, the potential of media moulds the everyday lives of nearly all people living in western society (Tomlinson, 1999). Migrants’ use of mainstream or other forms of media helps them feel closer to the people left back in their native homelands as they consume news. The continued evolution of digital media makes life better for the migrants to enable them communicate back home and also talk to people in Sweden as it takes time for one to integrate into the new society.

Sweden is a country that has integration especially for new migrants but it takes time especially due to language barrier and with most of the media produced in the local dialect, the local media usage becomes complicated for new arrivals in the country. Therefore new migrants make use of the internet all the time to get informed. Migrants like Ghanaians, will use telephones as another type of media and other migrants from Arab speaking countries use

(20)

17 satellite television that have a variety of channels to consume. Interviews carried out among migrants from Ghana, Africa revealed the three main channels namely television the Swedish mainstream media, internet and the telephone are commonly used among them. Among the interviewed Bonsu, he uses the internet as the only media and no other media due to language barrier. When further interviewees were asked if they listen to the radio or read the newspapers none of them used that type of media sighting the complexity of the Swedish language that they could not read or understand as it was being broadcast and also claimed to lack time to listen in to radio.

In Sweden for one to able to read the newspapers one has to be well versed with the language in order to consume print media. Only one newspaper in Sweden is in English but can only be accessed via the internet and yet not everyone will be well versed with internet especially if that has not been part of them. Media usage especially mainstream in Sweden is still a challenge as one has to master the Swedish language which can be difficult to comprehend easily and it takes time.

In conclusion, this research advocates a revolutionary transformation in the multi-ethnic public sphere in order to reduce current communication deficits. This can also happen when political settlement under democracy is established which has to guarantee equity of participation through the creation of state institutions capable of enabling diversity. The study of media usage, and the use of other media by ethnic minorities or diasporas is still at a stage where it is not yet conclusive especially in the Nordic countries and in particular Sweden as researchers continue to write more in regard to issues of mainstream media integrating diversity into their programmes in the newsroom. The use of other media by the diaspora is an expression of a sense of belonging and participation.

(21)

18

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

The study relies largely on qualitative research techniques and specifically, use of information collected on Ghanaian migrants in Örebro through interviewing as a technique. This particular data set surveyed the use of media and public space by migrants. This chapter will also entail definitions, data collection and informants including some statistics about Ghanaian residents in Sweden. The advantages and disadvantages of using this type of research method will all be mentioned in this chapter.

At the basic level, interviews are conversations. Qualitative research interviews can be defined as “attempt to understand the world from the subjects’ point of view, to unfold the meaning of peoples’ experiences to uncover their lived world prior to scientific explanations.” (Kvale, 1996)

Interviews are more than just a conversation; they involve a set of assumptions and understanding about the situation which is not normally associated with a casual conversation

(Denscombe: 2007,). The interview method is appropriate when a researcher wants to gain

insight into things like peoples’ opinions, feelings, emotions and experiences. (Ibid, Pg.

173-174)

There are three types of qualitative interviews that one can use for their research namely; informal conversational interviews, interview guide approach and standardised open-ended interview.

The informal conversational interview happens spontaneously during the course of field work without the knowledge of the respondent. Its main focus and advantage is that the interview is highly individualised and relevant to the individuals and likely to produce information or insight that the interviews could not have anticipated. This type of interview requires an interviewer who is very knowledgeable and experienced in the content area and strong in interpersonal skills, since he or she will have considerable discretion in directing the interview (Patton, 1990). He further explains the second type of qualitative interview, is the interview guide approach that is widely used as a format for qualitative interviewing, the interview has an outline of topics and issues to be covered, but is free to vary the wording and order of the questions to a given extent. The data collected is systematic and comprehensive than the informal conversational interview though the tone remains fairly conversational and

(22)

19 informal. Additionally, this type of interview requires an individual who is relatively skilled and experienced, probing for more in-depth information or guide the conversation to make sure that all topics outlined are covered (Patton, 1990).

This kind of research focused on a specific group of people and had a moderator. The data collection technique was a one on one structured interview and a semi-structured interview. This was done in order to get the views of each individual though they all were from the same country.

This particular study adopted the standardised open-ended interview, this type of method adheres to strict script, and there’s no flexibility in wording or order of questions. This method is still a qualitative interview rather than quantitative, it’s the most structured and efficient of the qualitative interview technique and is useful for reducing biasness especially when the interviewer is less experienced or knowledgeable. The major drawback is that the interviewer has little flexibility to respond to the particular concerns of the individual, and there is no guarantee that the questions asked tap into the issues that are most relevant to this particular respondent. (Patton, 1990). It’s important to have an atmosphere that is conducive for the interviewee in order to be more relaxed when talking about issues that they believe are sensitive and know that they will not be misinterpreted by the viewers or interviewer.

The researcher further adopted two set of interview methods structured and semi-structured. The first set of interview questions were asked during the start of the research and was a face to face interview.

While the second set of interview questions were written and emailed to the respodents to prompt them give in detail on their thought regarding the use of media by new migrants in the diaspora. These set of questions were also used during the Skype interviews for

respondents who were willing to go online. All the respondents interviewed are residents of Örebro, Sweden. This was a challenge, because the researcher would not prompt further discussion with the respondents who were far away. Questionnaires limit a researcher

because they will only get what has been written and yet interviews will further investigate in detail the questions being asked to the respondent which leads to expounding on the research being carried out.

3.1 Data and informants

This qualitative study involved 10 respondents from the Ghanaian community living in Örebro and it includes 5 male and 5 female who have lived in Örebro between 1-26 years.

(23)

20 The views herein recorded, transcribed and analysed are representative of the Ghanaian community of diverse professions. The analysis herein gives a picture of what the African migrants experience in Örebro and what they think needs to be done for them to improve their way of life while in Örebro. Here the researcher will also look at some issues raised by the respondents in regard to issues like; language, preference for social media and representation of Africans. Interviews were conducted face to face and most were conducted at the residences of the respondents in Örebro and others were done by skype. Seven (7) interviews took up to 20 minutes while three (3) took about 25minutes. The interviews that took twenty five minutes involved those who had stayed in Sweden between 1-10 years and the others interviews involved respondents who had stayed in Sweden for more than 10 years. Interviews were recorded on both recorder, video and audio camera. The recordings were then transcribed by watching and listening to what had been recorded. There was no need to translate because the respondents were all English speaking citizens of Ghana. There were two sets of interview questions given, the first set of questions were used with respondents who had lived in Sweden for less than ten years and the second set were used by respondents who had lived in Sweden from ten years and above. The questions used were to get more information from the respondents that was detailed in order for the researcher to have a better view on what they thought about the use of media in the diaspora.

According Mubazi; (2008, Pg.91) data analysis techniques and methods of processing and analysing data are varied and different. While common patterns of processing and analysing data have not been agreed upon, researchers usually analyse data before, during and after collection.

The analysis phase is a continuous process and we cannot easily distinguish the collection, reduction and analysis phases from each other. Data analysis does not occur in a vacuum, because researchers are continually interacting between the respondents and research tools. Each interview that is conducted gives more knowledge about the phenomenon that is studied and the researcher becomes more experienced in the information she is searching for. (Bjarte 2008)

The transcription and audio recording will give the basis of analysis. This will be done by revisiting the conducted interviews. There are different ways of analysing data in order to generate findings relevant for the research. A descriptive method will be employed because it’s good for finding similarities and differences in the opinions of the respondents (Stewart,

(24)

21 2007). Therefore, data analysis will focus on identifying patterns of media usage among the Ghanaians immigrants in Örebro.

The results and analysis give an insight into the usage of media in Sweden and the necessity for migrant and minority oriented media. The respondents were all from Ghana and residents of Örebro municipality.

The respondents are first generation migrants though their stay in Örebro ranges from twenty six years to one year and therefore some of them do not have a wider view on the issues of media. The Ghanaian population in Örebro is sparse and statistics of 2009 and 2014 show approximately about 1869 Ghanaians are Swedish citizens scattered around Sweden. These statistics do not include those who have not been documented and therefore unaccounted for or unknown in the system.

Research was carried out amongst Africans migrants of Ghanaian origin. Sadly little is known about other aspects of African migrants in Sweden. The previous studies focus on health care, racism and integration of the Africans into the Swedish culture and system.

During the analysis part the researcher will also look at issues that the respondents raised like langauge, preference for social media, representation of Africans in the media etc, as will be shown in the next section.

(25)

22

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

4.0. Introduction

This section describes views of the respondents regarding the use of media by the migrants. This section will be followed by an analysis and discussion of the objectives of this study.

4.1. Usage of media among new migrants?

All the 10 participants agree that media plays a significant role in the lives of the Ghanaian migrants in Örebro. Respondents interviewed acknowledge frequent use of media to get information about what is happening around them and also what is happening back home as a way of keeping in touch. The quest for information is hampered by language barrier because every new migrant looks for ways to keep abreast with events in Sweden and back home in Ghana. According to Connie (2004, 191) she argues that, immigrant populations in Europe do indeed prefer to watch television channels that transmit in their mother tongue and primarily broadcast news from the homeland.

The respondents report to have access to different types of media every day. Örebro as a municipality has its own newspaper which is distributed to every household on a weekly basis but not all the Ghanaians read it due to the complexity of the language apart from one respondent who does.

The importance of media is also observed from the number of satellite TVs owned by the migrants which give a wider spectrum of information. The new migrants also make good use of their friends who understand and speak Swedish to get information about events taking place in Sweden. Bonsu who had lived in Sweden for one year and eight months as a masters student; neither speaks nor understands Swedish confirms this when he says “sometimes I get some good sources of information from also close friends who understand and speak the language – if there is something really important that they think I should know,” they tell me.

Migrants who have lived in Sweden for more than two years also have a challenge with the mainstream media but have found other ways to cope in order to be knowledgeable and informed about events happening around them. Veronica a Ghanaian student who has lived in Örebro for nine years affirms that she speaks and understands Swedish and so gets information from mainstream media every day. She says “I watch television more than listening to radio and always look forward to a programme called Rapport because it gives a

(26)

23 summary of what is happening around the world” This underscores the role of media among migrants as an important channel for news and events in Sweden and the world over.

Frank one of the respondents living in Örebro for more than 26 years says “I learnt a lot about current News at school - the Swedish for Immigrants course, because I couldn’t follow the News programmes on television and radio due to language difficulties”. This is another avenue where someone can get information in regard to current affairs. Even after learning Swedish, he stills accesses the internet every day to keep abreast with what is happening. He confirms this by saying “I update myself on the news every day, mainly via social media and internet”. Therefore media really plays a vital role in the life of a person and more especially when they are new in a country. This keeps them updated to whatever is happening around and is affirmed by Myria (2006), who say; the role of the media to migrants contributes to sustaining cultural particularity.

Elissa a resident of Örebro, has lived in Sweden for now 20 years, She remembers how it was extremely difficult for her to use the Swedish media. Most migrants have resorted to alternative media, like satellite television, which contributes to the transnationalism of diasporic experience. The drive for them to be updated with, news and information shows how significant media is and must cater for the needs of new migrants. Elissa further says, “I never listened to Swedish news programmes” her experience as a migrant in a new place was a challenge especially due to language that was not her first. She further says “It was hard, Swedes don’t tell you much as they are very reserved and it was difficult to understand the culture”.

Patricia, another resident of Örebro municipality, has lived in Sweden for more than 22 years, is not any different from Elissa. She found it very difficult to listen to news due to language barrier. Patrica affirms when she says, “It was difficult not understanding the language …, I just looked at the pictures and films on the news”. According to Anna, Stefano (2009, pg 46), say, ‘length of stay and linguistic competence may be essential for cultural knowledge acquisition that, in turn, may be enhanced by mass media consumption’. If an individual is new in a country they face a lot of difficulty especially if they are interested in current affairs not to be able to understand a language at that time therefore feeling left out.

Myria (2006) further writes that, the engagement of diasporic audiences with satellite television reflects the ways mainstream and minority media interweave and how it is more about continuity between the particular and the universal than about competition. This can be confirmed by Frank one of the respondents who says “It was difficult because the news

(27)

24 programmes were too short and I am interested in economy issues. Just looking at news films didn’t help me at all”. Therefore as migrants continue to seek information, the role of media is very significant as it does away with the vacuum one may have when new in a country.

Obed another respondent and a journalism student at Örebro University, had just moved to Sweden and is among those who do not access the mainstream media of Sweden because of language. He does not watch television neither listen to radio as most channels he tunes in are all broadcasting in swedish. Asked if he was aware that, some channels broadcast in English like Sveriges Television (SVT), this is what he had to say, “I am not aware that there is any medium broadcasting in English”. He further says “I don’t use any mainstream media I get all my information via the internet”. This shows that very few new migrants know that the Swedish television and radio ever broadcast in other languages apart from Swedish. This is due to lack of information on the part of the migrant in regard to the mainstream media broadcasting in other langauges.

Theresa a resident of Örebro has lived in Sweden for 22 years, faced challenges accessing the mainstream media due to language barrier. She affirms saying, “In the beginning it was difficult with the language and the weather but now it’s not diffcult anymore”. As a new migrant it seemed difficult for Theresa when she first got to Sweden not having any

knowledge of the Swedish language. If one does not have langauge skills of a country, they will find it very diffcult to access news and current affairs. Language skills have some consequences for what kind of media one can utilize, i.e., whether one chooses radio, television, internet, etc., (Connie, 2004).

Robert, one of the respondents, had a very challenging time when he first arrived in Sweden. Being a refugee, he had no friends and the others boys in camp never spoke English he affirms this, “I had a bad experience, bad weather, no friends and the other boys at the refugee camp could not speak English, and I felt isolated” he further says, “I spoke no Swedish and could not follow the media” The teachers at the camp and pensioners working with Red Cross are the people who kept them informed of what transpired in the news. Even after one year it was quite difficult for Robert to use television or read newspapers due to the complexity of the Swedish language.

Among all respondents, Simeon, another student at Örebro University, differed from the others as he had lived in Finland for quite sometime and was knowledgeable about how the neighbouring countries operated. Therefore his moving to Sweden did not affect him a lot

(28)

25 because he could figure out some Swedish words making it a bit easy for him to use the Swedish media as he was well aware of what happens in the Nordic countries thus easily accessing the mainstream media.

All the respondents access the internet daily to be up to date on what is happening, and about two of the respondents are faithful listeners to radio on a daily basis. The respondents also access news through other means for instance, family/friends, church and school in order to be updated on what’s happening around the world and in their community. The graph below gives us a picture on which media is used more by the Ghanaian community in Örebro.

Fig 1. Pie chart indicating the most used media by the Ghanaian Community in

Örebro

4.2. Response of new migrants to Swedish media in Örebro?

The Ghanaian migrants in Örebro who have lived there for four or more years use Swedish media and especially television to get information and also learn the Swedish language. The migrants who have lived in Sweden for less than two years rely more on the internet, specifically Facebook to get information on what is happening around them. They also rely on friends to get information which could have been relayed by the mainstream media in the Swedish language that they do not understand. In Örebro the researcher observed that many migrants have resorted to using satellite Televisions to get information they otherwise would not get from the mainstream media.

However migrants have no kind words for mainstream media especially the television for portraying Africa negatively and failing to broadcast the good side of Africa. Respondents expressed their disappointment at the fact that Africa was portrayed as being a place with abject poverty and disease whereas there some good things about Africa that are omitted.

Internet Television Friends/Family Radio School Church Newspapers

(29)

26 Veronica, a student in Sweden says ‘… on Television, they portray the bad side of Africa like people are sick, people are in need…’ it’s so annoying ‘… Tasha, a resident in Örebro for four years says ‘… sometimes I get sad watching Television because Africa is portrayed as a poor continent with nothing…’ This makes mainstream media unpopular with migrants who have lived in Sweden long enough to understand and speak Swedish thereby getting them to rely on internet for better and balanced information from Africa.

Despite the negativity with which Africa is portrayed in the Swedish media, the migrants who have lived in Sweden for more than two years still strive to use Swedish mainstream media. This underscores the significant role media plays on the lives of migrants like Tasha and Veronica in Sweden who use the mainstream media every day to get information on what is happening around the world. In the long run, language cannot be an excuse for one to miss out on events that the media is relaying in and out of Sweden.

4.3. Copying mechanism for consumption of Swedish media by the new migrants?

The ever growing technological advancement is a great motivation for media use by migrants in Sweden. Migrants do not have to rely on mainstream media alone for information on what is happening around them. The technological advancement of electronic gadgets that support internet ensures everyone gets the kind of information that is appealing to them. Bonsu, a masters’ student of Örebro affirms that all his gadgets are connected to the internet which he accesses while on the move. He says ‘… I basically rely on my computer, my iPad and phone with internet…’ so as long as technology is available to help migrants get the information they want to know, then it is motivation enough to keep abreast with events in Sweden and the world over.

The migrants’ who have lived in Sweden for less than two years, are not motivated by the fact that there is information relayed about their countries on Television because it is broadcast in the Swedish language which they don’t speak. Matters are made worse when friends who speak Swedish language tell them what is being shown on television about their country. The urge to get information from mainstream media first-hand is not helped by what friends say when information on Ghana for instance is given to students like Bonsu who don’t speak Swedish. Bonsu says ‘… I don’t watch television and I do not own one …’ I have minimal interest because I don’t understand the Swedish language ‘… close friends inform me about issues shown about Ghana but am always amused about what is reported …’ the country offers more than what the media reports’.

(30)

27 This emphasises the fact that knowledge of the Swedish language or the lack of it has little impact on the migrants search for information because electronic technology has solved the language barrier for them. How the media portrays their home countries may be annoying but will not entice them to look forward to accessing mainstream media. Bonsu sums it up well when he says ‘I mostly rely on the internet and there is this particular paper called The Local which tries to give information, really important information ‘… picks some important stuff and tries to give it us in English …’.

Internet is most frequently used by the respondents and especially Facebook for information through friends. Through this same media they manage to communicate and keep in touch with family and friends back in Ghana. Current events are posted immediately without being censured rendering the profession of journalism, which requires that information, should be censured before publishing, less important. Citizen journalism that is being promoted by social media is proving to be more popular, easily accessible and more truthful. In Ghana, the use and access to community media for educational purposes underscore the importance and preference of the internet among Ghanaians as opposed to any other media. For the Ghanaian migrants therefore internet comes off as top priority for information of any kind that one seeks.

Veronica one of the respondents, says that she uses social media to get information. This is what she says “sometimes like Facebook, friends write about what is happening here and around the world so that is how I get other information” therefore Facebook is used as a social media platform for Veronica to be updated with what is happening in her community in Sweden and sometimes to know what is happening around the world. According to Georgiou, (2013, Pg. 82), she says “There is no doubt that media and communication technologies are becoming more diverse with different kinds of media platforms, and that very different content is available to share and consume on these platforms”. (Myria

Georgiou, Diaspora in the Digital Era: Minorities and Media Representation)

Tasha another respondent from Ghana says “I use internet to get information around” it is noted that the Ghanaians living in Örebro want to know mostly what is happening in their community in Sweden and back home becomes secondary. As the interviews were carried the researcher noted that the respondents were more keen about their new home so that they are not left out on what was happening around them. According to Connie (2004, Pg. 187), she says “media technologies not only communicate but also shape their social enviroment”

(31)

28 Bonsu a student and a resident of Örebro Municipality has this to say in regard to the use of social media as a medium for information, he says “mostly… I search the internet a lot … I use .. I mostly relied on the internet to get ... there’s a site that kind of give a summary, you know The Local ... kind of give a summary in English of the important news circulating in Sweden so I get a few stuff from there…”. According to Metykova (2009), says, “ the use of Internet-enabled means of communication and contents is highly individualized and selective. Thus the preference of social media by Bonsu a Ghanaian living in Örebro Sweden.

According to Horsti (2008), she says mass media and communication are crucial in all phases of immigration. Media plays a role in integration, identity and belonging. Frank one of the repondents from Ghana says he uses social media everyday to get news. This is what he says “… firstly there must be interest shown in news on behalf of migrants…” , I use social media to know about the economy because that is what I am more interested in.

There is no doubt that media and communication technologies are becoming more diverse with different kinds of media platforms and that very different content is available to share and consume on these platforms (Georgiou, 2013).

I findout about news via social media say Elissa. I get news about the community and society and I wish that news programmes also informed people of their rights and obligations in today’s society.

(32)

29

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.0. Introduction

The study focused on examining the necessity of migrant oriented media and its ability to meet the needs of the new migrants in Örebro municipality. The findings regarding the use of media in terms of access to information through use of mainstream media and social media displays a group with strong attachment to social media as opposed to mainstream media. This reflects their personal views on mainstream media broadcasts and access to internet. Interviews displayed a clear trend of Ghanaians preference of social media as the most reliable source of information that they seek. Three research questions were outlined and answered during the course of the interviews, to reach the core of the study. This section reflects the views of the respondents regarding the study questions given to them.

5.1. What is the usage of media among new migrants?

The results presented above show that media plays a very important role among new migrants in Örebro regardless of what type it is and what language it is. While Swedish media broadcasts and publications are in the Swedish language, the availability of options like the internet still gives the migrants the information they seek and understand. This underpins the role of media among migrants in Örebro as a channel to keep abreast with what is happening in Sweden and the world over. It is also a great way of staying informed about what is happening back home.

5.2. What is the response of migrants to Swedish media in Örebro?

The results above show that the new migrants’ who have lived in Sweden for four or more years are very comfortable watching Swedish programmes on television because they have some understanding of the Swedish language. The picture is different for those who have lived in Sweden for less than two years. They do not find any significance in owning television or watching Swedish television programming because they neither speak nor understand the Swedish language and therefore the media content broadcast is insignificant. The significance of the mainstream media in Sweden is therefore appreciated by the new migrants who have lived longer in Sweden than those who have not.

Important to note here is that for those who are able to watch Swedish programmes, the negative portrayal of Africa in Swedish media demoralises them a lot so social media comes