Symposium Introduction: Multilingual, Multicultural, Migrant, and Diasporic Radio, Audio, and Podcasting

Abstract

Multilingual and multicultural broadcasting and podcasting have expanded with the expansion of diverse populations and diasporas globally. Limited access to many representations of newer and older non-hegemonic communities in mainstream media often means that the access to programming in other languages is produced by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), community radio stations, podcasts, and smaller outlets such as online radio. Occasionally, there are specific designations for alternative sources that are recognized and regulated such as Canadian ethic radio stations (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission [CRTC], 1999). Increasingly, the internet provides new sources of nonregulated alternatives to broadcasting, such as internet broadcasting and podcasts. Karim H. Karim explains that “The decentralized nature of online networks stands in contrast to the highly regulated and controlled model of broadcasting. . .. [are]relatively inexpensive, and easy to operate. They facilitate nonhierarchical organization as well as one-person operations, and later communication as opposed to the generally rigid top-down structures of the mass media” (Karim, 2012, p. 167). Sherry Yu goes further to argue to “For a functioning democracy in an increasingly multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multilingual society, the public sphere and the discourse produced and disseminated within that sphere is expected to be multicultural and multi-ethnic, if not multilingual” (Yu, 2016, p. 349). Concerns about communities, cultural representations, and information frequently provide the impetus for the creation of alternatives as argued by Tokunbo Ojo to combat “misrepresentation, under-representation and invisibility of [racialized]. . . minorities in the mainstream media. They are meant to reflect the racial and cultural diversity of Canada through the reportage of their own issues. They provide room for cultural expressions in the sense that cultural folklore and languages are regularly used in reporting and programming” (Ojo, 2006, p. 351). The need to find places in the media for non-hegemonic representation surfaces in different ways depending on the needs and regulations that expand or restrict broadcasting and other media globally. JOURNAL OF RADIO & AUDIO MEDIA 2023, VOL. 30, NO. 1, 6–11 https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2023.2206259