Ojo, T. (2006). Ethnic print media in the multicultural nation of Canada: A case study of the Black news paper in Montreal.

     Journalism, Theory, Practice, and Criticism #7, 343-361.

                Tokunbo Ojo is currently teaching in Peterborough, Ontario Canada. Since 2005, Ojo has been part of the dynamic faculty of the Cultural Studies department at Trent University. Working closely with issues of media development, information and communication technologies, and race representation and media, to name only a few, Ojo has published scholarly works in the The Canadian Journal of Communication and Journal of Information Technology Impact, while also covering events for Inside Soccer Magazine.

Ojo (2006) conducts an extensive case study where he compares and contrasts mainstream print media and ethnic print media in the multicultural country of Canada. Specifically, he examines the manner in which minority groups are continuously framed and marked by stereotypes in Canadian mainstream media, and how ethnic media are serving as an alternative; breaking down the negative stereotypes of mainstream media and reconstructing positive identities (Ojo, 2006, 343). Ojo (2006) clearly emphasizes the purpose of his research in the beginning of his piece, stating that articles pertaining to minorities published in Canadian mainstream print media such as the Globe and Mail and National Post differ immensely from articles written and published in ethnic or alternative media. As a result, the Montreal Community Contact, an ethnic newspaper targeting the black community in Montreal becomes Ojo's case study (Ojo, 2006, 344).       

 Although the implementation of the 1991 Broadcasting Act was in full effect at the time the case study was conducted, indicating "...that all licensed broadcasting stations should reflect the racial and multicultural diversity of Canada in their programming and employment," the reality seems to be quite contradictory, according to Ojo. Canadian mainstream media is marked as utterly and undeniably racist and skewed, with minorities constantly being "othered" simply because mainstream media believe the stereotypes to be easier for their public to grasp and understand (Ojo, 2006, 347).

 In addition, when minorities are not “othered” or being under represented, they are ignored altogether. The monopoly of the Canadian media industry also influences the continued stereotypes and marginalization of minority groups. The homogenization of the media focuses on reinforcing cultural political ideologies of these Canadian elites in control of such a large industry. Ojo (2006) argues that the low levels of diversity in Canadian newsrooms could be a factor of continued bias, “The absence of racial and cultural diversity in the newsrooms of other major media outlets in Canada could also be partly responsible for the negative representation and portrayal of blacks and people of colour in the media” Ojo, 348). The findings of the article demonstrate the lack of concern on behalf of Canadian media outlets. According to Ojo's piece, when looking for an employee, statistics demonstrate how diversity is ranked 19th among employer concerns, while many other media organizations did not see the need in diversifying their staff at all (Ojo, 2006, 350). 

 Due to mainstream media's apathy of representing minorities accurately, ethnic media has surged as a means of alternative media for marginalized groups. The Montreal Community Contact is one of three free Black press newspapers in Canada. Focusing on issues pertinent to both foreign-born as well as Canadian-born blacks, the Montreal Community Contact serves the black community in large cities like Montreal and Toronto and focuses on highlighting and recognizing successful black professionals while also promoting the positive potential of black heritage in their community (Ojo, 2006, 354). In addition, Ojo (2006) claims that as an ethnic publication, the Montreal Community Contact also serves as what Subervi-Velez (1986) coined as a "dual-role" media platform; the publication maintains cultural preservation and also facilitates assimilation for those minorities who may be new to the country. Unfortunately, lack of funding has prevented this ethnic media newspaper to grow stronger, faster, "The paper is free and generates its funding and running costs primarily form free-will subscriptions, advertisement and governmental grants" (354). Although Ojo (2006) emphasizes the positive aspect of the black press, he does not neglect to mention a few setbacks. For instance, the paper is not published every day and has a total circulation of 7500, as a result, "...the overall political and cultural influence is limited"  (Ojo, 2006, 356). In addition, the newspaper is also highly dependent upon volunteer staff to circulate the paper.

 Overall, the case study conducted demonstrates a well thought out and organized plan with plenty of evidence highlighting the continual negative portrayal of minorities. The representation of minorities is inappropriate at best, and racist at worst, so the appropriation of the media is necessary in order to rectify such behavior (Ojo, 2006, 357). Ojo (2006) concludes by indicating that the impact Canadian ethnic media have to this day may be small due to lack of infrastructure, however, it has great potential to grow and influence minority audiences on a variety of levels (Ojo, 2006, 358). (Edited by Jessica D. Duran)