The rise of the cross-border local community? A study of the range of usage of Polish local internet media by Poles residing in Norway

The entrance of the local media into the internet distribution channel increases their distribution range. Although a medium's audience is still dominated by people living in particular local area, the medium's message is also available to all people conc erned or identifying with that local community, regardless of their current geographical location. This phenomenon is particularly important in the age of increased social mobility as expatriates are no longer deprived of contact with the local community of their origin. The main scientific goal of the project is to assess the level of contact which Poles residing in Norway keep with their local communities of origin in Poland, using local internet media devoted to them. This goal will be achieved throug h answering four basic research questions: 1. To what extent do Poles living in Norway read, listen to and watch local internet media dedicated to their hometowns in Poland? 2. To what degree do these Poles contribute to the above-mentioned media, and d o their comments refer to knowledge and experience gained during the time they have spent living outside of Poland? 3. What are the factors which influence both activities described above, and how do they influence them? 4. What are the proportions and relations between the usage of Polish local internet media by Poles living in Norway, and their usage of nationwide Polish internet media / Norwegian local internet media? The conducted analysis will be a valuable source of information for Polish and Nor wegian local self-governments, local internet media, as well as any institution concerned with the phenomenon of migration and national minorities. The project will allow to assess how the deterritorialisation of the distribution range of the local intern et media influences their social range. The study will also help explain how the development of internet media devoted to local communities increases their openness to the solutions applied in other countries.