Community, identity and diversity in German youth radio

ended

In times of increased mobility, urbanisation and sociocultural tensions, the way professional media as information providers and public watchdog present diversity has implications for social cohesion and for how young people perceive identity and society. Against this background, youth radio stations, which have become increasingly interactive and collaborative in the digital age, are an important point of orientation for many young people living in ethnically and linguistically diverse spaces, often struggling to ‘fit in’, and looking for reliable information and guidance. Despite German broadcasters' statutory and moral obligations to promote social cohesion and to contribute to building a non-discriminatory society in Germany, the media's representations of ethnic diversity have frequently been criticised. Little is known, however, about what a meaningful engagement with diversity means for journalists and how they try to create social cohesion through their work. Through linguistic ethnography at a German youth radio station and a critical discourse analysis of media messages, CIDoRa will provide new insights into the linguistic and semiotic practices of radio content production to explore how journalists construct and negotiate a collective urban youth identity with their diverse audience and thereby try to create a sense of community. In this context, my project will shed light on possible issues that can lead to an unbalanced and negative portrayal of ethnic and linguistic diversity on youth radio to foster a more meaningful engagement of journalists with diversity. By developing approaches for diversity-oriented communication, CIDoRa responds to timely social concerns around difference and voice in a mobile world fraught with deepening division. The results of my project will be disseminated through academic publications and outreach activities for journalists organised in collaboration with media stakeholders.