M-MEDIA, Verein zur Förderung interkultureller Medienarbeit

About us

M-MEDIA - Society for the Promotion of Cross-Cultural Media - was founded to build a bridge between Austrian mainstream media and migrants, and the media of migrant communities in Austria. M-Media is a self-organisation for migrants wanting to design their own pictures for the mainstream media.

Our aim is to enable migrants' pictures, and the topics which relate to them, to be extensively and increasingly represented in the mainstream media through the active participation in the communication process of those concerned.
This aim is to be realised by means of the following measures:
• the provision and organisation of training in media and communication for migrants at home and abroad:
• supervision of editing of cross-cultural media and communication reports for and with migrants;
• media advice for migrants' organisations;
• increased cooperation with the Austrian media, in order to improve the quality of reports and to facilitate and encourage access to the mass media;
• involvement of migrants in the Austrian mainstream media and advancement of migrants in media companies;
• organisation of symposia, seminars, talks;
• Workshops for migrants and experts in the field.
Projects:
• Migrants write for the mainstream media: every Wednesday from 28th January 2007 to 31st December 2012 migrants wrote for the quality daily newspaper "Die Presse". A project supported by the EU, the city of Vienna and the national government.
• Afrikanet.info: the first information portal by and about black people from Africa and the diaspora – Europe, Latin America, North America – in German speaking regions.
• Black Austria: communication campaign to reduce prejudice against black people living in Austria. www.blackaustria.at
• Journalism prize for cross-cultural dialogue: this M-Media project was implemented in 2008. The intention was to encourage journalists and editors (print, online and electronic media) to report on the topic of migrants comprehensively and critically. This coverage was hoped to contribute to an acceptance of migrants in Austrian society. The project was supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Art and Culture.
• A study on the ethnic diversity of Austrian mainstream editorial output is being planned.
• Excursions with journalists from the migrant communities. This project was carried out from 2006 to 2008.
• Diversity Database Austria: a data bank accessible by journalists. Here almost all speakers and experts with a migrant background are to be found. The data bank provides up to date information on migrants and experts who are well-schooled in various “diversity” topics.
• M-Media has organised the Media.Trade Fair. Migration and Diversity since 2008. These seminars for professionals in cross-cultural communication are unique in Europe or in German-speaking regions. They provide a platform for institutions, universities, NGOs, cross-cultural media and businesses to debate the media diversity in German speaking countries - http://www.m-media.or.at/medienmesse
• M-Media has published the Austrian media handbook Migration and Diversity since 2008. - www.m-media.or.at/medienhandbuch
Since September 2012 there has been a wiki name: diversity and inclusion in German-speaking journalism. History, terms, challenges - http://wiki.m-media.or.at/

Simon INOU is the president of M-MEDIA - Society for the Promotion of Cross-Cultural Media.

On request we can offer other net participants advice, give a presentation, and provide up-to-date information and contacts in the field of our work.