Policies of media and cultural integration in Germany: From guestworker programmes to a more integrative framework

Abstract

After the arrival of the first labour migrants in Germany in the 1960s a gradual change in the perception of migrants in German politics took place: from guests (Gastarbeiter) and foreigners (Ausländer) to citizens as members of a new form of 'us' that is constructed within diversity. These transformations were reflected in Germany's migration-related policies throughout recent history. This article focuses on media-related policies for cultural integration which go hand in hand with the developments in the general migration policy framework analysing different phases after the 1960s. In general we observe an increasing institutionalization of integration policies a more comprehensive understanding of the role of the media for integration purposes and a diversification of measures even more rapidly after the enactment of the Immigration Act in 2004. Cultural diversity is now emphasized as an enriching factor for the German mediascape. However there continues to be a need for long-term policies in order to improve media diversity in practice. © The Author(s) 2014.