The conference held in Toronto's Metro Centre on March 21, 2005, “Ethnicity and Media in Canada", was one of contradictions. Participants agreed that there is a serious need for more involvement by ethnics in mainstream media. Ethnic members of the media discussed the difficulties of "breaking into" mainstream media while members of the mainstream media were giving excuses why this hasn't happened . There were also, however, discussions of how to make it happen.

The symposium was sponsored by the Association for Canadian Studies with co-sponsorship by OMNI-TV, the latter being the standardbearer of ethnic media in Canada.

The opening address was delivered by OMNI-TV vice-president and studio manager Madeline Ziniak, who has done more than anyone in the cause of ethnicity and native Canadians in the media. She also initiated the Estonian series “Telepeegel” (plus similar Latvian and Lithuanian) for two seasons. Under her direction OMNI has added another station and now broadcasts in 40 languages. Ziniak spoke of how a while ago they had to fight to get ethnic journalists into the Press Club, and how now they are invited to participate in the mainstream media.

The next to speak was Professor Augie Fleras, a Lithuanian who teaches sociology at University of Waterloo and has written twenty scholarly books, some on the subject of media. While resident of New Zealand he learned the Maori language in order to do his doctoral thesis on the sub group. His theory on on ethnic media in mainstream society is that we should start thinking about mainstream media as "ethnic" and that would put things into better perspective.

The Canadian Ethnic Journalists' and Writers' Club President, Ben Viccari gave an historical perspective on the ethnic media in Canada. The first such were German in the 1850's.

The keynote speaker was Toronto Star Publisher Michael Goldbloom, who spoke eloquently about the need for ethnic involvement in Canadian media. He picked up the prevailing excuse by the previous speakers that they hadn't staffed their paper with ethnic reporters because their personnel turnover is 15-20 years ( because the Star is at the top of the journalistic pile and nobody wants to leave, you see.) Since the Star was already declaring (erroneously) that Toronto had a population, 50% visible minority in 1999, and it didn't get that way overnight, Mr. Goldbloom's excuse was rather lame. He did, however, bring along columnist Mr. Haroon Siddiqui, either to prove that the Star hires ethnics or then Canada Council recipients.

CH Global TV Québec Hostess Marianna Simeone spoke with mirth of how she became an on-air-personality on an Italian language show. One producer said she too ethnic while the other said she was not ethnic enough.

Concordia University Professor Ms. Yasmin Jiwani spoke of what she sees as the future of media in Canada with considerable insight. " When mainstream media involve ethnic journalists it is to show that they (mainstream media) are superior, " Jiwani said, adding, " Mainstream media is losing significance anyway, since most ethnics are following the internet and reading ethnic media. "

There were many other interesting speakers and we will cover their speeches in subsequent issues of this paper.

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