Switching On, Off, and In-between: Media Use, Identity, and Belonging in the Lebanese Australian Shiite Community

Abstract

In the current climate of populist politics, migrants have borne the brunt of media misrepresentation. Questions of loyalty, citizenship, and belonging have dominated media discourse about immigration and migrants. Such media misrepresentation has forced migrant diasporic communities to respond in specific ways, such as a noticeable increase in the adoption of alternative media as a media tool for migrant diasporic communities to remain connected to what is going on back home. This research examines how the Australian Lebanese Shiite community uses media and alternative media sources, in particular, Arabic satellite television, to help construct their sense of identity and belonging. The research investigates the diverse ways the Australian Shiite community consumes different forms of media, and to what end from a social and cultural perspective. Further, this research also aims to investigate why a demand for alternative media might exist, as well as the influence it may or may not have on producing and/or shaping an individual’s Shiite identity.