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Minority migration is an essential component in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, and Qatar is a particularly vivid case, where large segments of the population are non-nationals, mainly coming from South and South East Asia, Africa and the wider Arab World. This diverse demographic composition produces a multilingual and multicultural environment, where these migrants seek from the media to meet various needs. As such, this study explores how migrant minorities in Qatar engage with a blended media ecology that spans home- and host-country media consumption. The study also examines how media use shapes perceived cultural diversity and sense of belonging, as well as mitigates feelings of homesickness. Drawing on the notions of social identity theory, this study employed a qualitative approach, with focus group discussions as the data collection instrument. The findings of this study revealed that migrant minorities interviewed are exposed to traditional and digital media locally and transnationally and have used these outlets for instrumental (such as news, information-seeking and communication) and emotional (belonging, bonding and mood regulation) purposes. In particular, the respondents felt that these outlets shape perceptions of cultural diversity and social integration, and that they reinforced their sense of belonging, which, in turn, significantly contributed to mitigating feelings of homesickness. This study has contributed to the migration and media use in the GCC context.
Messaoud et al. (Wed,) studied this question.