Digital journalism, ethnic media, and transcultural potential

Abstract Ethnic media serve a myriad of functions within their respective ethnic communities. However, less attention has been paid to their role within broader society. Using Brantner and Herczeg’s concept of “transcultural ethnic media,” this study identifies typologies of online English or bilingual ethnic media originating in Canada and explores their transcultural potential. A mixed methods approach, through the examination of these media’s mission statements and the analysis of interviews with media practitioners as well as news articles from New Canadian Media (NCM) and The Caribbean Camera (TCC), identifies a set of typologies (cultural, multicultural, and transcultural ethnic media) that can serve as a new conceptual lens through which ethnic media can be studied. Further, transculturality appears to primarily be a function, rather than an intention, for cultural ethnic media, and operates within and between communities for transcultural ethnic media.