The contemporary media environment is increasingly multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual, in which media organizations and individuals of varying levels of cultural literacy produce and consume media content. New media technologies both promote and hinder opportunities for improving cultural literacy by enabling more production and distribution of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse voices than ever before, yet simultaneously fragmenting audiences and limiting the exposure to, let alone the consumption of, these voices. This void, even within an abundance of information, indeed widens the gap in public discourse, as manifested in conflicts among various cultural groups.

Who produces these diverse voices? How accessible are these media? How do these media help members of a multicultural society become culturally literate and ethically sound producers and consumers of multicultural storytelling? Dr. Sherry Yu introduces a variety of ethnic media that are actively in operation. From century-old newspapers to young and hip magazine blogs, ethnic media are useful resources not only for members of ethno-racial communities but also for anyone who is interested in exploring communities across cultures, and being an active member of a multicultural society.

Dr. Yu is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and a faculty member in the Media & Communication doctoral program at Temple University. Her research explores culture and technology in communication with respect to cultural literacy, intercultural dialogue, and civic engagement among members of a multicultural society. Her research has been published in scholarly journals such as Journalism and the Canadian Journal of Communication.