Seite - 214 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Svetlana Serebryakova | Issues of Migration 214 living, a tightening of social conflicts and problems – mainly with regard to job training and health care –, an intensification of nationalistic and separatistic tendencies, as well as to a rising crime rate. Social infrastructure is not laid-out for this increase in population (Khoperskaya/Kharchenko 2005, p. 49). This explains why administration officials as well as the average population in the area values migration as a social occurrence with a negative connotation. Migration in all its manifesta- tions is being named almost in unison as one of the main reasons for ethnic tensions in Southern Russia, mostly in consequence of political conflicts, terrorism and inconsequent official migration policy. Characteristical for the ethnopolitical processes in the North Caucasus is their inconsistent dynamics, and further socio-economical and ethnic stratification. Generally speaking it can be stated that the socio-psychological adaptation of refugees in our region is difficult, due to objective as well as subjective drawbacks. Problems of adaptation and integration of migrants are essential questions for the Stavropol’ area, and as such they are a constant subject of discussion on different societal levels. A federal program “South of Russia” has been elaborated, containing different actions and measures aiming at the reduction of negative impacts of migration and the regions warranty of socio- political and economic stability. Among other things, the media is supposed to be supported in its objective discussion of migration issues and conflicts. A non-governmental organization “Danish Council of Refugees” has been working on an “Integration”-project in the Southern Federal District for years. According to surveys, problems of migration and refugees and their mutual relationships with the residing population, remains to be one of the most prevailing problems of the socio-political and economic life in the Stavropol’ area – on different levels regularly discussed in the regional mass media as well. Problems of the socio-psychological adaptation of refugees, the idea of a positive interethnic and intercultural dialogue and the idea of tolerance are important topics not only in the newspapers of the Southern Federal District and the district capital, but also in the city- and county-issues. Qualitatively and quantitatively, the branched system of district-, city-, and county-media has changed in the 1990s: today about 200 different newspapers and magazines are being published, among them news and entertainment newspapers, for general as well as for special interest, for purchase as well as for free. etc. Popular are the regional issues of the federal newspapers: “Argumenty i fakty. Severnyi kavkaz”, “Komsomol’skaya pravda na severnom kavkaze”, “Moskovskii komsomolets – kavkaz”. Since 1990 the evening newspaper of the district capital “Vechernii Stavropol’” plays an important role – with a constantly increasing readership. The newspaper “Stavropol’skie gubernskie