A Community Newspaper

What's the value of a newspaper for the Montagnard community?
We live in an information-rich world which allows us to make informed decisions about important matters such as health and employment.

Ethnic communities in our area have access to mainstream media and ethnic periodicals. Spanish-, Korean- and Vietnamese-speakers produce their own media supported by advertising. The Montagnard community, the largest outside of Southeast Asia, lives here in the Piedmont. The community speaks to its members in as many as 7 languages. It has no newspaper. It relies on satellite TV from Cambodia and Vietnam for news and entertainment. It has has practically no books in its languages for its adult population or children, and relies on a few individuals from their community to translate and interpret for almost all interactions with the American mainstream. Vietnamese translation, which Triad authorities spottily provide, is not the Montagnards' first language and many do not understand it. More importantly, most Montagnards come to America escaping persecution by the Vietnamese government and its dominance over their indigenous tribal cultures. So substituting Vietnamese for Jarai, Rhade, Coho, Bunong and Bahnar is not only problematic, it can be politically insensitive, too. In the Age of Information, the Montagnard community remains an island rarely visited by American media.

Media Is a Two-Way Street
A community newspaper brings information, ideas and opportunities to its readers.

It clarifies facts and organizes opinions. It promotes diversity. It gives a voice to its community. A multi-language English-Montagnard newspaper would also be an exclusive channel for the American mainstream — businesses, services, education, government — to reach and speak directly to the community. For over 20 years, language barriers have stifled the free exchange of ideas and information and limited the refugee community's interaction with the region.

From Trial to Enterprise
In September 2009, a trial version of the DegaNews was distributed to Greensboro Montagnard shops.

It was written in three languages, English, Rhade and Bunong. It was free and contained political stories, MDA service information, and community news. It contained paid ads from community businesses and American legal services. This was an initiative Director YSiu Hlong put together as a rough test. He solicited ads, oversaw the printing, and quickly distributed the issue. One of the important confirmations of this project was community interest and the willingness of businesses to pay to reach the Montagnard consumer.

After reviewing this first trial, we believe these are the key issues to a successful community paper:

--It must be sustainable
--It must be in English and multiple languages
--It must generate valuable, reusable information
--It must have an online component
--It must train Montagnards to take on writing, editing, translation, and technical production.
--It must address community needs
--It must be a publication of MDA
--It must be have a clearly stated editorial policy of nonpartisanship and nonaffiliation with any tribe, political cause, or religion.

MDA Information Services
We believe we can assemble the team and talent to produce a monthly newspaper.

We propose an MDA Information Services group, in charge of the newspaper's print production, online presence, and content services. Since the newspaper will generate valuable consumer, health, education, legal and other information available in multiple languages, we believe there will be additional demand for the group's services. These might include health information translated into multiple languages and available in print, online, sound, slide, PowerPoint, and movie formats. Sound and multimedia are particularly important since a large number of refugees are not literate in their native language.

Sponsorships and Advertising
We believe a regular newspaper could be supported by sponsorships from corporations with an immediate interest in creating a better-informed community and directly talking to it. Advertising from professional services and small businesses would also support the paper.

Certain area businesses and services have an enormous stake in creating an informed Montagnard community. The additional costs in servicing them has never been calculated, but when one considers the bill from one visit to the emergency room by an uninsured patient that results in a week of intensive care, they are staggering.

We believe MDA Information Services will be able to generate additional income through resell and repurposing of stories and information from a growing content archive. The team would also create original content for private clients.

Advisory Council
The newspaper needs an Advisory Council made up of Montagnard community members. The Council will give feedback and guidance and insure it remains fair, informative, and nonpartisan.

Old Made New
Most analysts view print newspapers as an endangered species. But NPR ran a story about how ethnic papers are thriving. As the US population continues to diversify, small populations like the Montagnards will either be overlooked or addressed. Given the pressures of the economic downturn, area businesses, nonprofits, state and local government and education have to be more efficient and smarter when trying to reach refugee consumers, citizens, clients, and families. Technology, sensitively and appropriately used, could go a long way to delivering effective messages about combatting hypertension, drug use, depression, teenage pregnancy and promoting preventive care. A multi-language Montagnard news medium could clearly present to the refugee patient the cost-benefit when he chooses to go the emergency room rather than regular checkups at a health clinic or doctor's office. It could explain to the refugee client his legal rights and the legal process. It could warn him of scams and give him a better understanding about how, where, and when to pay his City water bill. Such a news medium could also advertise to the Montagnard population a host of local goods and services otherwise unavailable and unknown to them. Whatever critics of popular culture and consumerism say, advertisements are one way in which consumers (including refugee consumers) make choices. If the language barrier could be breached, they would be able to make more informed choices, choosing (say) quality over price or a promotional sale at a distant store over the convenience of a nearby one. Many shop at Walmart not because of low price, but because they're uninformed about other choices. But without this knowledge, the community languishes and the individual refugee consumer suffers. It's been like this for far too long.

Looking for Feedback and Partners
We strive to identify and make connections with partners who share our vision to improve the welfare of the Montagnard community and by doing so, the larger community.

Montagnard Dega Association is not a first-tier refugee provider. After the refugee and his family has been settled and provided with the minimum basics by these providers, MDA takes over and deals with the complicated, long term issues. Our strength is understanding the needs of Montagnard individuals, families and neighborhoods.