Austria - 2012
Media: Are there positive measures for promoting or restrictions for Migrant and minority media?
- Code:
- RED118
- Key Area:
- Public Life, Culture, Sport & Media
- Strand(s):
- Discrimination, Equality
| Short Answer |
There are several initiatives to promote migrant and minority media, however representation of minorities and migrants is quite poor. |
| Qualitative Info |
The Austrian press council had agreed on an Austrian code of conduct for the Austrian press, which imposes obligations by ways of self-regulation. It entails a prohibition of any discrimination based on racist, religious, national, sexual or other motives as violations of the protection of the individual. In 2002 the Austrian Newspaper Association (Verband österreichischer Zeitungen) left the Austrian Press Council, which since then only exists as so-called relict-press council (Rumpf-Presserat). A module on language and discrimination has been introduced in the basic training of the Austrian Broadcasting Agency (Österreichischer Rundfunk) as a pilot in 2008. Representation of persons of immigrant background in the media is poor. On December 6th, 2010, the Austrian Public Broadcasting Company release a study which revealed that migrants wish a better substantial and quantitative representation in the television programmes. The reporting is perceived to be passing on stereotypes and the representation of migrants is unbalanced. The Austrian Broadcasting Agency by § 5 Federal Law on Austrian Broadcasting (ORF Gesetz) is obliged to ensure that a reasonable percentage of programmes is provided in minority rights languages. The programme “Home – foreign home” (Heimat fremde Heimat) is telecasting in the languages of the autochthon minorities. There is no broadcasting provided in minority languages of immigrants. Immigrant representation in the media is limited to independent media initiatives. In 1997 an independent radio station called Radio Africa has been founded, aiming at providing a platform of communication for migrants with a focus on African immigrants, representing the interest of African migrants in Austria and contributing to awareness raising and intercultural dialogue. Since 2005 Radio Africa operates TV programmes on the Vienna Community TV channel Okto. Concerning print media there are three online newspapers which dedicate a special section to migrant issues: dastandard.at, M-Media and Wiener Zeitung.
Sources: http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10000785; http://dastandard.at/1291454235142/Public-Value-Studie-Migranten-wuenschen-sich-staerkere-Praesenz-im-ORF; http://derstandard.at/1287100034033/Migranten-fuer-Medien-vor-allem-Sicherheitsrisiko?seite=2; http://www.m-media.or.at/; http://dastandard.at/; http://www.wienerzeitung.at/themen_channel/wzintegration/; http://www.presserat.at/; http://www.radioafrika.net/ |
| Data | |
| Groups affected/interested | Migrants, Refugees, Roma & Travelers, Muslims, Ethnic minorities, Religious minorities, Linguistic minorities, Asylum seekers |
| Type (R/D) | |
| Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas | Media |
| External Url | |
| Situation(s) |
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