2023/05/20 by Stephanie Zonszein · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Media Influence and Politics #Media Studies and Communication
paper · pdf · doi:10.31219/osf.io/n6qp8
openalex publication_date 2023/05/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Does the ethnic media promote the political engagement of minority ethnic immigrants? This is a salient question in Western democracies, where the political incorporation of immigrants is a continuous challenge. Prevailing accounts place the media as a primary cause of growing public disengagement. In contrast, this article argues that the entry of community-centered ethnic media can increase immigrants’ political engagement by changing their informational environment and their representation in media and state institutions. In 2004 the UK Parliament enacted the Community Radio Order to allow the licensing of community radio stations. Leveraging the introduction of this law and geographical variation in the distribution of licenses with a difference-in-differences approach, this article shows that the exposure of minority ethnic immigrants to radio programming targeted at their community substantively increases their turnout in local elections. The results suggest that immigrants’ participation in politics is stimulated by accommodating diversity within common institutions.