“Media Diasporas - Diasporic Media” - the Construction of Regional Identities through Radio Programmes

In this paper I will focus on minorities, not often described in the context of media research, namely minorities which result not from movement of people, but from shift of borders, here especially of the German speaking minority in Poland.

The main focus in my research lies on the German-Speaking radio shows which are broadcasted in a border region in Poland, near the German and Czech border. The situation of the German media there is very interesting because it is a relatively new phenomenon that there are Radio and TV shows available in German. The minority language media were prohibited in Poland during the socialism period, and could be introduced during the transformation period first. Not being based on a continuous minority media traditions, these radios are free in creating the understanding of their mission and their belonging to a community of listeners or to construct their listeners.

My research demonstrates how radio programmes represent a region in order to foster a regional or local identity and how they create a picture of the self and the others. The presentation demonstrates, how the contents and composition of the programmes describe boarders and a strong belonging to the own local group as well as to the traditions of the minority.

The presentation demonstrates the integrational function of the radio and simultaneously its function within a diasporic consolidation, and hence focuses on the challenges of minority radio stations with regard on both creating minority identities and belongings and representing a region or a local community.