Seite - 232 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Round Table Discussion | Worst Case and Best Practice 232 Heinz Bonfadelli I think, we altogether see the problem. It’s complicated, and there are different levels. I showed you the data on the school level. That shows how children from migrant families don’t have equal chances at school – what about the language, their first language at school? Are they allowed to use their own language at school or do they get lessons at school? So I think the school system is very important as well. We talked about the media system and now we focused on the level of journalists, but then we have the level of media organizations and media outlets. You know, minority media are quite small, and we have an increasing commercialization of the media system. And normally, the big media market is where you can make money. We see small markets in Switzerland in the Alpine region, for instance, where there is not enough money to have local radio stations in rural areas. But in Switzerland we have a system where in those small rural areas local radio stations get subsidies. So I think here again, on this structural level of media financing, there are options and the government can put money into it and do more for a pluralistic media landscape. From the audience Dr. Hassane mentioned it yesterday, Augie Fleras mentioned it now. I think there's too much emphasis on this behind-the-camera aspect. That may be important. But especially regarding media effects, I would say the symbolic value of this black French anchorman on French prime time news is very important. And I would say even such non-creative roles as being actors in TV series are very important for representation, for how these people see themselves even if they don't write the script. The symbolic value of seeing a black person, reading the news in perfect French to the French mainstream audience, is very high. I would say that even if you write some more or less hostile texts about what happens in the Banlieues, the symbolic value is the most important one in the effect field. I would give this as a little hint to Augie, and I would stress this “before the camera” more than behind. Leen d’Haenens I read people want to see themselves.