Assimilation, Rejection or Convergence? The Role of the Bilingual Press in San Antonio, Texas

A mixed methods study of the two leading bilingual news publications in San Antonio, Texas, in 2009 reveals that the editors and journalists who are responsible for the content and direction of the publications have adapted the role of their publications to fit the evolving composition of the U.S. Hispanic population in San Antonio. This study incorporated content analysis based on 24 issues of two bilingual news publications and seven in-depth interviews with editors and journalists at the two publications. The results were examined within the frame of recent models of ethnic media functions and their use of assimilation and pluralism characteristics. The quantitative and qualitative findings show that the two publications utilize a convergence of both assimilation and pluralism elements within the content of their pages. The importance of research that combines the above elements centers on the central fact that the expanding Hispanic populace in America is characterized by its steady stream of newcomers combined with an existing population which often has many familial layers. This has created a need for a type of "foreign-language" press unlike any that preceded it. This press must meet the needs of both unassimilated newcomers and highly assimilated residents alike. The resulting picture that emerges is of a press that combines both assimilation and pluralistic functions, looking ahead while not forgetting the past.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mass Communication and Media Arts

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• O'Donnell, Mary

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lowry, Dennis

• assimilation
• Hispanic
• newspapers
• pluralism

Repository record dc:identifier

https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/126

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opensiuc.lib.siu.edu:dissertations-1126