Media InterAct Project: Outcomes and Recommendations Report
InterAct Magazine: A Portrait of Third-Country Nationals in Malta (Pages 4 - 16)
Media InterAct Research - "Situation Analysis of Media Practices and Integration of Third-Country Nationals" (Annexes 1, 2 and 3)
SOS Malta in partnership with the Public Broadcasting Services Ltd and the Institute of Maltese Journalists participated in a project, "Media InterAct", co-financed through The European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
Media InterAct was a one-year project running from July 2011 till June 2012 and its overall objective was that of initiating an avenue for mainstreaming the diversity and integration of third-country nationals (TCNs) within the media in Malta. The common element across the initiatives planned within the Media InterAct project was the acknowledgement that the media can play an important role in increasing positive awareness of cultures belonging to TCNs living in Malta, as well as facilitating intercultural exchange between people with different cultural backgrounds and society at large. This in turn will facilitate the integration of TCNs in Malta.
The foundations of the project were based on an initial research component focused on mapping out the current situation of TCNs and their representation within the media in Malta as well as the identification of best practices from other EU Member States.
The Media InterAct project piloted the production of a 13-episode lifestyle/culinary TV programme called "Minn Lenti Interkulturali" aimed at promoting intercultural exchange through the sharing of culinary experiences and traditions of TCNs and the simultaneous account of their integration experiences in Malta. These TV programmes were aired on E22 (TVM2) and TVM throughout the months of January 2012 to June 2012. In addition, the project piloted the issuing of a magazine, "InterAct - A Portrait of Third-Country Nationals in Malta", dedicated to cultural diversity and integration which was distributed in April 2012 with The Times of Malta. The project also introduced a new journalism award category for Malta entitled "Promoting Integration and Intercultural Dialogue" featuring as a new element within the Malta Journalism Awards, an annual event organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists.
The Media InterAct project concluded with a multi-stakeholder networking conference in May 2012, bringing together various actors to explore ways of mainstreaming cultural diversity and integration within Maltese media and to talk about the role of the media in facilitating the integration of TCNs in Malta. Following this, Media InterAct is publishing this set of final recommendations of media-related initiatives, structures and policies that can better promote and mainstream cultural diversity in the media in Malta.
