Research Team · Target Audience.....1 Survey Research Objectives ... The survey questionnaire was...

Research Team

Principal Investigator:

Rukhsana Ahmed, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Ottawa Co-investigators: Caroline Andrew, Ph.D. Director, Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa Houssein Charmarkeh, Ph.D. Lecturer, Department of Communication, University of Ottawa Peruvemba Jaya S., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Ottawa Luisa Veronis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Ottawa Project Coordinator:

Ms. April Carrière Ph.D. Candidate, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa

Funding The Ottawa Multicultural Media Initiative (OMMI) is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canada.

Inquiry For inquiries about this report, please contact the Principal Investigator, Rukhsana Ahmed at [email protected] or the Project Coordinator, April Carrière at [email protected] Download This report can be downloaded, free of charge, from OMMI's Website at http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/ Suggested Citation Ahmed, R., Andrew, C., & Carrière, A. (2013). 2012 OMMI survey: Selected results. Ottawa Multicultural Media Initiative, 34 pages. Retrieved from http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/ommi-reports/

Acknowledgements This report was made possible through financial support from SSHRC and the collaboration and dedication of everyone involved with the Ottawa Multicultural Media Initiative (OMMI). A special acknowledgement is extended to OMMI survey participants, project team, research assistants, partners, collaborators, and volunteers.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/

http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/ommi-reports/

Executive Summary The survey research results presented in this report looked at multicultural media consumption practices among four ethno-cultural communities across Ottawa – Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian. They are part of the Ottawa Multicultural Media Initiative (OMMI) research project, which is studying the opportunities and challenges associated with Ottawa’s growing multicultural media for fostering social inclusion, facilitating labour market integration, and promoting economic prosperity for those communities. The survey research results produce baseline knowledge about multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. More specifically, they provide insights into how different ethno-cultural communities learn about Ottawa, Canada, and their local ethno-cultural communities. The survey research results are part of the OMMI’s phase one research, which aims to gain a better understanding of this important question. Research on multicultural media consumption practices across ethno-cultural communities – identifying which types of multicultural media are consumed by members of each community, and to identify why and to what end community members consume multicultural media – is central to understanding the social, cultural, and economic functions and uses of multicultural media. Hence, OMMI survey research findings will provide evidence for the City of Ottawa to design

informed policies, and for stakeholders to create community oriented action-initiatives capable of fostering long-term immigrant integration. The OMMI research team will further analyze the comparative survey data to shed light on the untapped potential of multicultural media for newcomers’ well-being and integration and Ottawa’s economic prosperity. In addition to producing peer-reviewed publications drawing on the survey findings, the research team will engage in complementary focus groups discussions and in-depth interviews with consumers and producers of multicultural media in each of the communities in order to deepen and contextualize the survey findings.

Table of Contents

Project Description ...................................................................... 1

Background .............................................................................. 1

Target Audience ...................................................................... 1

Survey Research Objectives .................................................... 1

Key Concept and Scope ........................................................... 1

Methodology ........................................................................... 2

Limitations ............................................................................... 3

Selected Key Findings .................................................................. 3

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Chinese Community ................................................................ 3

Participants .......................................................................... 3

Chinese Language Media Consumption Habits .................. 3

Chinese Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement ......................................................................... 6

Summary of Findings: .......................................................... 9

............................................................................................. 9

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Spanish Speaking Latin American Community ..................... 10

Participants ........................................................................ 10

Spanish Language Media Consumption Habits ................ 10

Spanish Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement ....................................................................... 13

Summary of Findings: ........................................................ 15

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Somali Community ................................................................ 16

Participants ....................................................................... 16

Somali Language Media Consumption Habits ..................... 16

Somali Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement ...................................................................... 19

Summary of Findings: ....................................................... 22

........................................................................................... 22

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s South Asian Community ....................................................... 23

Participants ....................................................................... 23

South Asian Language Media Consumption Habits ............. 23

South Asian Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement ...................................................................... 26

Summary of Findings: ....................................................... 28

What Do the Data Suggest? ...................................................... 29

Conclusion ................................................................................. 30

Next Steps ............................................................................. 31

Media Coverage ........................................................................ 31

1

Project Description

Background Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Ottawa Multicultural Media Initiative (OMMI) is a multi-researcher, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral partnership that links the University of Ottawa and the City of Ottawa to a network of multicultural media producers, leading multicultural media scholars and practitioners, representatives of the city’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities, and other local stakeholders. OMMI is studying Ottawa’s growing multicultural media over three sequential phases, focusing on three inter-related objectives: 1) to build long-term research capacity and expertise on the intersections between multicultural media, immigrant integration and economic prosperity; 2) to forge strong partnerships with the City of Ottawa, targeted communities and local stakeholders through a broad and dynamic network of collaboration; and 3) to co-create, mobilize and disseminate knowledge about multicultural media and their potential to address issues related to Ottawa’s economic prosperity and immigrant inclusion and integration. During phase one, OMMI engaged in survey research to study the four ethno-cultural communities’ access to and use of multicultural media.

Target Audience The survey research results presented in this report looked at multicultural media consumption practices among four ethno-cultural communities across Ottawa – the Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. Survey Research Objectives To create baseline knowledge about multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. To identify which types of multicultural media are consumed by members of each community, and to identify why and to what end community members consume multicultural media. Key Concept and Scope As employed by the OMMI, the term multicultural media denotes media produced for particular ethno-cultural communities, which, however, may or may not be produced only by those ethno-cultural communities and only in their ethnic languages. Reflecting the great diversity of media usage across different ethno-cultural communities, multicultural media include all types of print, broadcast, and digital media, which may include, but are not limited to: news, blogs, movies, sitcoms, religious programs, cultural programs, commercials, children’s programs, and so on. The geographic scope of

2

multicultural media consumption practices includes local, provincial, national, and international sources. Methodology As part of developing the survey questionnaire, OMMI held a series of consultation meetings with its advisory board, partners, and community representatives. An iterative process resulted in a final survey draft, which was then pilot tested with a small number of representatives in the Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities to assess the comprehensibility and clarity of the questionnaire. Based on the pilot test results, minor modifications were made to the survey questionnaire, after which, the full study was conducted.

During phase one, from May 2012 to January 2013, OMMI administered 1600 surveys, 400 per community, across Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. Over a period of 8 months, a total of 1212 surveys were returned, providing a response rate of 75 percent. This response rate was achieved as a result of the collaborative effort of the OMMI research team, research assistants, community representatives, volunteers, and community paid volunteers, collaborative network, and organizations in the local community to recruit survey participants. The study used a combination of the following strategies in order to recruit survey participants and to improve survey response rates:

Initial contact was established by distributing recruitment posters, flyers, and advertisements; sending e-mail messages and letters of information; posting on webpages and social media networking sites; word of mouth; and attending community events and workshops.

Multiple follow-ups were made by sending e-mail reminders and placing phone calls.

Information booths were set up in high traffic areas of the University of Ottawa campus, where students were offered refreshments and invited to participate in the survey.

Language training classes, on and off campus, were targeted, where students were provided with information on OMMI research and invited to participate in the survey.

In addition to using hand out surveys, mail surveys, and intercept surveys, participants were offered the option to choose one of two methods to respond to the survey electronically: they could choose to fill out the survey electronically and to send a completed copy by e-mail, or they could choose to print a copy, answer the questions on the hard copy, scan the hard copy, and send a completed copy by e-mail.

To be eligible to participate in the survey, participants had to self-identify as being from a Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, or South Asian background, be living in Ottawa, 18 years old or above, and able to communicate their experiences in English (if needed, with the help of a volunteer with appropriate bilingual skills). Participants were required to

3

sign an informed consent form, which provided information about the purpose of the study, the scope of their participation, potential risks and benefits of participating in the study, and the confidential and voluntary nature of their participation. As an incentive to complete the survey, respondents had the option to participate in a prize draw.

The survey questionnaire was divided into five main parts: general socio-demographic information, media access, multicultural media consumption habits, English and/or French language media consumption habits, and multicultural media use and civic engagement. Survey questions, selected results of which are reported here, were designed to gather information about multicultural media consumption practices across Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. Limitations This report is intended to provide only a snapshot of multicultural media consumption practices across Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities. It is not intended to be an in-depth study and thus the findings should be interpreted with caution.

Selected Key Findings In what follows, selected key findings of the 2012 OMMI survey are presented using graphical analysis, namely bar and pie charts. These findings are divided into four sections, each representing one of the communities under study, and

beginning with a brief overview of participants’ socio-demographic information.

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Chinese Community Participants The 353 participants from Ottawa’s Chinese community who completed the OMMI survey questionnaire illustrate the diverse nature of the community. This diversity is reflected in the range of participants’ socio-demographic background, including sex (approximately two-thirds of the respondents were female, and one-third were male), age (from 18 to 92 years old), education (from less than Grade 8 to graduate and professional degrees), income (from unemployed to $80,000+), official language proficiency in English or French (from basic knowledge to fluent), immigration category, and length of stay in Canada (from newcomer to third generation immigrant).

The report will now shed some light on multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s Chinese community. Chinese Language Media Consumption Habits When asked whether they subscribe to specialized Chinese language cable, satellite, or Internet channels, 40 percent of respondents said yes, 6 percent said they were planning to, and the majority (54 percent) of them said no. Please refer to Chart 1.1 below.

4

Chart 1.1

(Source: OMMI Survey 2012, Part C, Question 1; 352 respondents)

Chart 1.2 below shows how frequently participants watch or listen to Chinese language programs. The results indicated that the majority (63 percent) of respondents did so often, 23 percent reported they did so occasionally, 11 percent reported they rarely did so, and 3 percent reported they never watched or listened to Chinese language programs.

Chart 1.2


When asked what types of Chinese language media they use, 37 percent of participants reported they used the Internet, 18 percent read print newspapers, 16 percent watched television online, 13 percent watched traditional television, 6 percent read newspapers online, 5 percent listened to local radio stations, and 5 percent listened to online radio. Please refer to Chart 1.3 below.

63%

23%

11%3%

Chinese Language Programing Consumption

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

5

Chart 1.3


Chart 1.4 below shows the different types of Chinese language programming participants consume. The results indicated that 32 percent of respondents consumed entertainment programs, 29 percent consumed international news, 16 percent consumed Canadian news, 12 percent consumed local news, 5 percent consumed economic and political shows, 5 percent consumed cultural shows, and 1 percent consumed religious programs.

Chart 1.4


When asked whether they listened to local Chinese radio programming, the majority (66 percent) of respondents reported they never listened to it, 24 percent reported they listened to it rarely, 7 percent reported they listened to it occasionally, and 3 percent reported they listened to it often. Please refer to Chart 1.5 below.

37%

5%5%13%

16%

18%

6%

Types of Chinese Language Media Use

Internet

Local Radio

Online Radio

Television

Online Television

Newspaper

Online Newspaper

32%

29%

16%

12%

5%5% 1%

Types of Chinese Language Programming Consumption

Entertainment

International News

Canadian News

Local News

Economic and Political Shows

Cultural Shows

Religious Programs

6

Chart 1.5


Chart 1.6 below shows whether participants read local Chinese community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals. 36 percent of respondents reported they read them often, 28 percent reported they rarely read them, 19 percent reported they read them occasionally, and 17 percent reported they never read local Chinese community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.

Chart 1.6


Chinese Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement Chart 1.7 below shows whether Chinese language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (78 percent) of respondents reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin, 42 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Canada, 38 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, and for 23 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

3% 7%

24%

66%

Listening to Chinese Radio Programming

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

7

Chart 1.7

(Source: OMMI Survey 2012, Part E, Question 1; 340 respondents)

Chart 1.8 below shows whether Chinese language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (51 percent) of respondents reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, 21 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 19 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Canada, and for 14 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa.

Chart 1.8


Chart 1.9 below shows whether Chinese language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (56 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin, 26 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Canada, 22 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, and for 20 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

38%

42%

23%

78%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chinese Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with News in

My country of origin

My local/national/ethno-cultural communityCanada

Ottawa14%

19%

21%

51%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chinese Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Economic Trends in


My local/national ethno-cultural communityCanada

Ottawa

8

Chart 1.9


Chart 1.10 shows whether Chinese language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (64 percent) of respondents reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin, 33 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 21 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, and for 17

percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Canada.

Chart 1.10


Chart 1.11 shows the different types of media participants use to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa. 40 percent of respondents reported they visited the City of Ottawa website, 40 percent reported that they read local daily newspapers, 33 percent reported reading Chinese language newspapers, 28 percent reported visiting a City service and/or community centre, 20 percent reported listening to local radio stations, 16 percent reported watching local TV stations, and 7 percent reported reading local neighbourhood newspapers.

22%

26%

20%

56%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chinese Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Politics in



Ottawa

21%

17%

33%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chinese Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Culture and/or Entertainment in



Ottawa

9

Chart 1.11


40%

7%

33%

20%

16%

28%

40%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Read a local daily newspaper

Read a local neighbourhood newspaper

Read Chinese language newspapers

Listen to local radio station

Watch local TV station

Visit a City service and/or community centre

Visit the City of Ottawa website

To Seek City of Ottawa Services I

Summary of Findings:

• The majority of respondents (54 percent) did not subscribe to specialized Chinese language cable, satellite, or Internet channels.

• Most of the respondents (63 percent) often watched or listened to Chinese language programs.

• The Internet was identified as an important form of Chinese language media, used by more than one-third of respondents (37 percent). Other important forms of Chinese language media were print newspapers, online television, traditional television, online newspapers, local radio stations, and online radio, in that order.

• Entertainment programs, consumed by close to one-third of respondents (32 percent), and international news, consumed by more than one-fourth of respondents (29 percent), were the two most popular types of Chinese language programming.

• The majority of respondents (66 percent) never listened to local Chinese radio programming.

• One in three respondents (36 percent) read local Chinese community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.

• For the majority of respondents (78 percent), consuming Chinese language media helped them to keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin.

• To help them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, the majority of respondents (51 percent) consumed Chinese language media.

• Over half of the respondents (56 percent) consumed Chinese language media in order to keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin.

• The majority of respondents (64 percent) consumed Chinese

language media in order to help them keep-up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin.

• More than one-third of respondents (40 percent) visited the City of Ottawa website; more than one-third of respondents (40 percent) read local daily newspapers; and one-third of respondents (33 percent) relied on Chinese language newspapers when they sought to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa.

10

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Spanish Speaking Latin American Community Participants The 281 participants from Ottawa’s Spanish speaking Latin American community who completed the OMMI survey questionnaire illustrate the diverse nature of the community. This diversity is reflected in the range of participants’ socio-demographic background, including sex (approximately half of the respondents were female, and half were male), age (from 18 to 69 years old), education (from less than Grade 8 to graduate and professional degrees), income (from unemployed to $80,000+), official language proficiency in English or French (from basic knowledge to fluent), immigration category, and length of stay in Canada (from newcomer to third generation immigrant). The report will now shed some light on multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s Spanish speaking Latin American community. Spanish Language Media Consumption Habits

When asked whether they subscribe to specialized Spanish language cable, satellite, or Internet channels, 30 percent of the respondents said yes, 3 percent said they were planning to, and the majority (67 percent) of them said no. Please refer to Chart 2.1 below.

Chart 2.1


Chart 2.2 below shows how frequently participants watch or listen to Spanish language programs. The majority (33 percent) of respondents reported they rarely did so, 30 percent reported they did so occasionally, 19 percent reported they did so often, and 18 percent reported they never watched or listened.

30%

3%67%

Spanish Language Media Subscription

YesPlanningNo

11

Chart 2.2


When asked what types of Spanish language media they use, 22 percent of participants reported that they read newspapers online, 18 percent watched traditional television, 16 percent read print newspapers, 15 percent listened to online radio, 14 percent watched television online, 9 percent listened to local radio stations, and 6 percent used the Internet. Please refer to Chart 2.3 below.

Chart 2.3


Chart 2.4 below shows the different types of Spanish language programming they consume. The results indicated that 35 percent of respondents consumed international news, 27 percent consumed entertainment programs, 14 percent consumed Canadian news, 9 percent consumed local news, 7 percent consumed economic and political shows, 6 percent consumed cultural shows, and 2 percent consumed religious programs.

19%

30%33%

18%

Spanish Language Programing Consumption

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

6% 9%

15%

18%14%

16%

22%

Types of Spanish Language Media Use

Internet

Local Radio

Online Radio

Television

Online Television

Newspaper

Online Newspaper

12

Chart 2.4


When asked whether they listened to local Spanish language radio programming, the majority (62 percent) of the respondents reported that they never listened to it, 23 percent reported they listened to it rarely, 9 percent reported they listened to it occasionally, and 6 percent reported they listened to it often. Please refer to Chart 2.5 below.

Chart 2.5


Chart 2.6 below shows whether participants read local Spanish language community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals. 41 percent of respondents reported that they never read them, 28 percent reported they rarely read them, 20 percent reported they read them occasionally, and 11 percent reported they read local Spanish speaking Latin American community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals often.

27%

35%

14%

9%

7%6% 2%

Types of Spanish Language Programming Consumption

Entertainment

International News

Canadian News

Local News

Economic and PoliticalShowsCultural Shows

Religious Programs

6% 9%

23%62%

Listening to Spanish Language Radio Programming

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

13

Chart 2.6


Spanish Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement

Chart 2.7 below shows whether Spanish language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (80 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin, 35 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Canada, 31 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, and for 22

percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

Chart 2.7


Chart 2.8 below shows whether Spanish language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. 38 percent of the participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, 12 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Canada, and 11 percent reported in helped them keep up-to-

11%

20%

28%

41%

Reading Local Spanish Language Community Print Media

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

31%

35%

22%

80%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Spanish Language Media Help to Keep Up -to -Date with News in



Ottawa

14

date with economic trends in their local/national/ethno-cultural community as well as in Ottawa.

Chart 2.8


Chart 2.9 below shows whether Spanish language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (57 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin, 16 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Canada, and 12 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their local/national/ethno-cultural community as well as in Ottawa.

Chart 2.9


Chart 2.10 shows whether Spanish language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. Almost half (49 percent) of the participants reported that it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin, 29 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 20 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, and for 18

11%

12%

11%

38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Spanish Language Media Help to Keep Up -to- Date with Economic Trends in



Ottawa

12%

16%

12%

57%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Spanish Language Media Help to Keep Up -to -Date with Politics in



Ottawa

15

percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Canada.

Chart 2.10


Chart 2.11 shows the different types of media they use to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa, the majority (55 percent) of the participants reported that they visited the City of Ottawa website, 50 percent reported reading local daily newspapers, 43 percent reported listening to local radio station, 37 percent reported watching local TV stations, 31 percent

reported visiting a City service and/or community centre, 23 reported reading Spanish language newspapers, and 21 percent reported reading local neighbourhood newspapers.

Chart 2.11


20%

18%

29%

49%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Spanish Language Media Help to Keep Up -to -Date with Culture and/or Entertainment in



Ottawa


• The majority of respondents (67 percent) did not subscribe to specialized Spanish language cable, satellite, or Internet channels.

• One-third of respondents (33 percent) rarely watched or listened to Spanish language programs.

• Online newspaper was identified as an important form of

Spanish language media, used by more than one in respondents (22 percent). Other important forms of Spanish language media were traditional television, print newspapers, online radio, online television, local radio stations, and the Internet, in that order.

16

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s Somali Community Participants The 282 participants from Ottawa’s Somali community who completed the OMMI survey questionnaire illustrate the diverse nature of the community. This diversity is reflected in the range of participants’ socio-demographic background, including sex (approximately three quarters of the respondents were female, and one quarter were male), age (from 18 to 74 years old), education (from less than Grade 8 to graduate and professional degrees), income (from unemployed to $80,000+), official language proficiency in English or French (from basic knowledge to fluent), immigration category, and length of stay in Canada (from newcomer to third generation immigrant). The report will now shed some light on multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s Somali community. Somali Language Media Consumption Habits

When asked whether they subscribe to specialized Somali language cable, satellite, or Internet channels, 17 percent of the respondents said yes, 6 percent said they were planning to, and the majority (77 percent) of them said no. Please refer to Chart 3.1 below.

• International news, consumed by a little more than one-third of

respondents (35 percent), and entertainment programs, consumed by a little more than one-fourth of respondents (27 percent), were the two most popular types of Spanish language programming.

• The majority of respondents (62 percent) never listened to local Spanish language radio programming.

• Less than half of the respondents (41 percent) never read local Spanish language community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.

• For the majority of respondents (80 percent), consuming Spanish language media helped them keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin.

• To help them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, more than one-third of respondents (38 percent) consumed Spanish language media.

• The majority of respondents (57 percent) consumed Spanish

language media in order to keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin.

• Almost half of the respondents (49 percent) consumed Spanish language media in order to help them keep-up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin.

• More than half of the respondents (55 percent) visited the City of Ottawa website and half of the respondents (50 percent) read a local daily newspaper when they sought to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa.

17

Chart 3.1


Chart 3.2 below shows how frequently participants watch or listen to Somali language programs. 34 percent of respondents reported they rarely did so, 28 percent reported they never did so, 26 percent reported they did so occasionally, and12 percent reported did so often.

Chart 3.2


When asked what types of Somali language media they use, 38 percent of respondents reported that they used the Internet, 16 percent watched traditional television, 13 percent listened to local radio stations, 12 percent listened to online radio, 9 percent watched television online, 8 percent read newspapers online, and 4 percent read print newspapers. Please refer to Chart 3.3 below.

17%

6%

77%

Somali Language Media Subscription

YesPlanningNo

12%

26%

34%

28%

Somali Language Programing Consumption

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

18

Chart 3.3


Chart 3.4 below shows the different types of Somali language programming they consume. 26 percent of respondents reported that they consumed international news, 23 percent consumed Canadian news, 19 percent consumed local news, 12 percent consumed, entertainment programs, 8 percent consumed economic and political shows, 7 percent consumed religious programs, and 5 percent consumed cultural shows.

Chart 3.4


When asked whether they listened to local Somali radio programming, the majority (59 percent) of respondents reported they never listened to it, 20 percent reported they listened to it rarely, 13 percent reported they listened to it occasionally, and 8 percent reported they listened to it often. Please refer to Chart 3.5 below.

38%

13%12%

16%

9%4%

8%

Types of Somali Language Media Use

Internet

Local Radio

Online Radio

Television

Online Television

Newspaper

Online Newspaper

12%

26%

23%

19%

8%5%

7%

Types of Somali Language Programming Consumption

Entertainment

International News

Canadian News

Local News


Religious Programs

19

Chart 3.5


Chart 3.6 below shows whether participants read local Somali community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals. 65 percent of respondents reported they never read them, 22 percent reported they rarely read them, 10 percent reported they read them occasionally, and 3 percent reported they read them often.

Chart 3.6


Somali Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement

Chart 3.7 below shows whether Somali language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. 39 percent of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin, 25 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Canada, 20 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, and for 14 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

8%13%

20%59%

Listening to Somali Radio Programming

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

3% 10%

22%

65%

Reading Local Somali Community Print Media

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

20

Chart 3.7


Chart 3.8 below shows whether Somali language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. 34 percent of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, 12 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 11 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Canada, and for 8 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa.

Chart 3.8


Chart 3.9 below shows whether Somali language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (52 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin, 16 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Canada as well as in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, for 13 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa.

20%

25%

14%

39%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Somali Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with News in



Ottawa8%

11%

12%

34%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Somali Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Economic Trends in


My local/national ethno-cultural community Canada

Ottawa

21

Chart 3.9


Chart 3.10 shows whether Somali language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. 44 percent of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin, 23 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 12 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Canada, and for 11 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa.

Chart 3.10


Chart 3.11 shows the different types of media participants use to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa. The majority (72 percent) of participants reported they read local daily newspapers, 45 percent reported watching a local TV station, 29 percent reported listening to local radio stations, 20 percent reported reading local neighbourhood newspapers, 15 percent reported visiting a City service and/or community centre, 9 percent reported visiting the City of Ottawa website, and 8 percent reported reading Somali language newspapers.

13%

16%

16%

52%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Somali Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Politics in



Ottawa11%

12%

23%

44%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Somali Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Culture and/or Entertainment in


My local/national ethno-cultural community Canada

Ottawa

22

Chart 3.11


72%

20%

8%

29%

45%

15%

9%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%



Read Somali language newspapers







• The majority of respondents (77 percent) did not subscribe to specialized Somali language cable, satellite, or Internet channels.

• One-third of respondents (33 percent) reported that they rarely watched or listened to Somali language programs.

• The Internet was identified as an important form of Somali language media, used by more than one-third of respondents (38 percent). Other important forms of Somali language media were traditional television, local radio stations, online radio, online television, online newspaper, and print newspaper, in that order.

• International news, consumed by a little more than one-fourth of respondents (26 percent), and Canadian news, consumed by a little less than one-fourth of respondents (23 percent), were the two most popular types of Somali language programming.

• The majority of respondents (59 percent) never listened to local Somali radio programming.

• The majority of respondents (65 percent) never read local Somali community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.

• For more than one-third of respondents (39 percent), the most common reason for consuming Somali language media was to keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin.

• To help them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, a little more than one-third of respondents (34 percent) consumed Somali language media.

• A little over half (52 percent) of the respondents consumed Somali language media in order to keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin.

• Close to one in two respondents (44 percent) consumed Somali language media in order to help them keep-up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin.

• The majority of respondents (72 percent) read a local daily

newspaper and a little less than half of the respondents (45 percent) watched local TV station when they sought to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa.

23

Multicultural Media Consumption Practices in Ottawa’s South Asian Community

Participants The 296 participants from Ottawa’s South Asian community who completed the OMMI survey questionnaire illustrate the diverse nature of the community. This diversity is reflected in the range of participants’ socio-demographic background, including sex (approximately half of the respondents were female, and half were male), age (from 18 to 82 years old), education (from less than Grade 8 to graduate and professional Degrees), income (from unemployed to $80,000+), official language proficiency in English or French (from basic knowledge to fluent), immigration category, and length of stay in Canada (from newcomer to third generation immigrant). The report will now shed some light on multicultural media usage, preferences, and motives among Ottawa’s South Asian community.

South Asian Language Media Consumption Habits When asked whether they subscribe to specialized South Asian language cable, satellite, or Internet channels, 41 percent of the respondents said yes, 7 percent said they were planning to, and the majority (52 percent) of them said no. Please refer to Chart 4.1 below.

Chart 4.1


Chart 4.2 below shows how frequently participants watch or listen to South Asian language programs. 35 percent of the respondents reported that they did so often, 29 percent reported they did so occasionally, 23 percent reported they rarely did so, and 13 percent reported they never watched or listened to South Asian language programs.

41%

7%

52%

South Asian Language Media Subscription

Yes

Planning

No

24

Chart 4.2


When asked what types of South Asian language media they use, 32 percent of participants reported they used the Internet, 24 percent watched traditional television, 11 percent read print newspapers, 10 percent read newspapers online, 8 percent watched television online, 8 percent listened to online radio, and 7 percent listened to local radio stations. Please refer to Chart 4.3 below.

Chart 4.3


Chart 4.4 below shows the different types of South Asian language programming participants consume. The results indicated that 32 percent of respondents consumed entertainment programs, 21 percent consumed international news, 14 percent consumed Canadian news, 10 percent consumed local news, 9 percent consumed cultural shows, 8 percent consumed religious programs, and 6 percent consumed economic and political shows.

35%

29%

23%

13%

South Asian Language Programing Consumption

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

32%

7%8%24%

8%

11%10%

Types of South Asian Language Media Use

Internet

Local Radio

Online Radio

Television

Online Television

Newspaper

Online Newspaper

25

Chart 4.4


When asked whether they listened to local South Asian radio programming, the majority (68 percent) of respondents reported they never listened to it, 19 percent reported they listened to it rarely, 8 percent reported they listened to it occasionally, and 5 percent reported they listened to it often. Please refer to Chart 4.5 below.

Chart 4.5


Chart 4.6 below shows whether participants read local South Asian community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals. The majority (53 percent) of respondents reported they never read them, 24 percent reported they rarely read them, 15 percent reported they read them occasionally, and 8 percent reported they read them often.

32%

21%14%

10%

6%

9%8%

Types of South Asian Language Programming Consumption

Entertainment

International News

Canadian News

Local News


Religious Programs

5% 8%

19%

68%

Listening to South Asian Radio Programming

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

26

Chart 4.6


South Asian Language Media Consumption and Civic Engagement Chart 4.7 below shows whether South Asian language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (74 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin, 34 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Canada, 26 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with news in Ottawa, and for 18 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with news in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

Chart 4.7


Chart 4.8 below shows whether South Asian language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. 38 percent of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their country of origin, 15 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Canada, 11 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in Ottawa, and for 9 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

8%

15%

24%53%

Reading Local South Asian Community Print Media

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

26%

34%

18%

74%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

South Asian Language Media Help to Keep Up -to-Date with News in


My local/national/ethno-cultural communityCanada

Ottawa

27

Chart 4.8


Chart 4.9 below shows whether South Asian language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (62 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin, 19 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Canada,15 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in Ottawa, and for 12 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with politics in their local/national/ethno-cultural community.

Chart 4.9


Chart 4.10 shows whether South Asian language media consumption helps participants keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa, Canada, their local/national/ethno-cultural community, and their country of origin. The majority (67 percent) of participants reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin, 25 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their local/national/ethno-cultural community, 19 percent reported it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Canada, and for 12 percent, it helped them keep up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in Ottawa.

11%

15%

9%

38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

South Asian Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Economic Trends in



Ottawa 15%

19%

12%

62%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

South Asian Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Politics in



Ottawa

28

Chart 4.10


Chart 4.11 shows the different types of media they use to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa. The majority (59 percent) of participants reported they read local daily newspapers, 39 percent reported visiting the City of Ottawa website, 37 percent reported watching local TV stations, 30 percent reported listening to local radio stations, 20 percent reported reading local neighbourhood newspapers, 16 percent reported visiting a City service and/or community centre, and 15 percent reported reading South Asian language newspapers.

Chart 4.11


12%

19%

25%

67%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

South Asian Language Media Help to Keep Up-to-Date with Culture and/or Entertainment in



Ottawa

59%

20%

15%

30%

37%

16%

39%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%



Read South Asian language newspapers







• The majority of respondents (52 percent) did not subscribe to specialized South Asian language cable, satellite, or Internet channels.

• A little more than one-third of respondents (35 percent) often watched or listened to South Asian language programs.

• The Internet was identified as an important form of South Asian language media, by close to one-third of respondents (32 percent). Other important forms of South Asian language media were traditional television, print newspaper, online newspaper, online television as well as online radio, and local radio stations, in that order.

29

What Do the Data Suggest? The selected key survey findings across the four communities suggest the following:

Subscription to specialized language cable, satellite, or

Internet channels was low among members of Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities.

Differences existed across the communities in the degree to which members consumed multicultural media. For example, respondents in the Chinese and South Asian communities were found to often watch or listen to Chinese language programs and South Asian language programs, respectively. On the other hand, respondents in the Somali and Latin American communities were found to rarely watch or listen to Somali language programs and Spanish language programs, respectively.

The Internet was the most important from of multicultural media, used by members of Ottawa’s Chinese, Somali, and South Asian communities. Respondents in the Spanish speaking Latin American community, on the other hand, were more likely to use online newspapers.

Differences existed in the types of multicultural media

programming consumed by members of Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and

• Entertainment programs, consumed by close to one-third of respondents (32 percent), and international news, consumed by one-fifth of respondents (21 percent), were the two most popular types of South Asian language programming.

• The majority of respondents (68 percent) never listened to local South Asian radio programming.

• The majority of respondents (53 percent) never read local South Asian community newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals.

• For the majority of respondents (74 percent), consuming South Asian language media helped them to keep up-to-date with news in their country of origin.

• To help them keep up-to-date with economic trends in their

country of origin, more than one-third of respondents (38 percent) consumed South Asian language media.

• The majority of respondents (62 percent) consumed South Asian language media in order to keep up-to-date with politics in their country of origin.

• The majority of respondents (67 percent) consumed South Asian language media in order to help them keep-up-to-date with culture and/or entertainment in their country of origin.

• The majority of respondents (59 percent) read local daily

newspapers; more than one-third of respondents (39 percent) visited the City of Ottawa website; more than one-third 37 percent watched local TV stations; and less than one-third of respondents (30 percent) listened to local radio stations when they sought to learn about services provided by the City of Ottawa.

30

South Asian communities. For example, respondents in the Chinese and South Asian communities used Chinese language media, and South Asian language media, respectively, mainly to consume entertainment programs. On the other hand, respondents in the Somali and Latin American communities used Somali language media, and Spanish language media, respectively, mainly to consume international news. It is important to note that consuming Canadian news was the next most important reason for the respondents in all four communities to use multicultural media.

The practice of listening to local multicultural radio programming was very low among members of Ottawa’s Chinese, South Asian, Somali, and Latin American communities.

It was only in the Chinese community that reading local community newspapers was frequent. In the other three communities this was not at all a common practice.

Among the members of Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities, the most common motivations for consuming multicultural media were to stay up-to-date with news, economic trends, politics, and culture and/or entertainment in their countries of origin.

Differences existed in their preferred sources of

information when members of Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South

Asian communities sought to learn about the City of Ottawa services. For example, the City of Ottawa website was the most popular source among respondents in the Chinese and Latin American communities. Whereas, respondents in the South Asian and Somali communities were more likely to read a local daily newspaper.

Conclusion The survey research results presented in this report provide a snapshot of multicultural media consumption practices across Ottawa’s Chinese, Spanish speaking Latin American, Somali, and South Asian communities by identifying which types of multicultural media are consumed by members of each community, and by identifying why and to what end community members consume multicultural media. Understanding the social, cultural, and economic functions and uses of multicultural media is of crucial importance, and, as the very first baseline data on the subject, the findings presented in this report make an important contribution to that understanding. The OMMI survey research findings will provide evidence for the City of Ottawa to design informed policies, and for stakeholders to create community oriented action-initiatives capable of fostering long-term immigrant integration. Comparative data on multicultural media consumption practices, trends, and habits across the four communities can provide valuable knowledge and understanding of the social, cultural, and economic opportunities and challenges associated with multicultural media. Equipped with the knowledge that will

31

be gained over the course of the project, and working in partnership with the City of Ottawa and collaborative network, OMMI hopes to lead the way in the creation of innovative strategies capable of taking advantage of the opportunities created by multicultural media to ensure immigrant wellbeing, inclusion, and integration. Next Steps

The surveys yielded a rich corpus of comparative data that the OMMI research team will continue to analyze in order to shed light on the role of multicultural media in informing recent immigrants about Ottawa, Canada, and their own communities. Part of the objective of this research will be to better understand how this information relates to the better integration of newcomers into the Ottawa community. In addition, efforts are also underway to produce peer-reviewed publications drawing on the survey findings. In phase two, the OMMI research team will carry out focus groups discussions and in-depth interviews with consumers and producers of multicultural media in each of the four ethno-cultural communities in order to deepen and contextualize the survey findings. OMMI’s survey research as well as this future research step will be the evidence base on which OMMI aims for: A) partnered creation and mobilization of insight, knowledge, and understanding of the actual and potential uses and functions of multicultural media for newcomer wellbeing, inclusion, and integration; B) identification of potential policies and practices by the City of Ottawa through collaboration with multicultural media producers; C) identification of gaps in existing multicultural media to address specific newcomer

issues that could be identified in the focus groups, possibly in areas such as housing, employment, health, and education.

Media Coverage This report and a press release will be posted on the OMMI website at http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/ A link to the report and the press release will be tweeted and shared on OMMI’s Facebook page and with OMMI’s partners, collaborative network, community representatives, and other stakeholders. The press release will also be sent to different media outlets, OMMI’s partners, collaborative network, community representatives, and other stakeholders.

http://artsites.uottawa.ca/ommi/en/

Date post:	27-Jul-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	9 times
Download:	0 times

Research Team · Target Audience.....1 Survey Research Objectives ... The survey questionnaire was...

Documents