The Changing Role Of Professional Writers In The Age Of Digital Cross-Cultural Communication

Jessica EdwardsIn the United States’ increasingly global society, miscommunication is a nearly unavoidable occurrence between members of different cultural groups, particularly new immigrants who are not yet acclimated to American communication norms. The purpose of this research is to explore these misunderstandings and the role that professional writers can play in minimizing them. This thesis aims to provide a framework for establishing connections rather than differences, specifically through the perspective of African immigrants living in the United States. By referencing texts on cross-cultural communication, global journalism, and participatory media for background information, this project examines blogs and websites created and written by African immigrants and how their content compares to articles published by CNN, one of the most popular mainstream American news sources. The results of this research demonstrate a disconnect between the two platforms, both in terms of content and methods of reporting, that could likely contribute to deeper miscommunication issues between the immigrant group and general American society. This project applies these results to professional writing in general and journalism in particular, examining the evolution of modern media and how professional writers can use these findings as a foundation from which to research their audiences and become more effective at written cross-cultural communication.Englis