Framing modern challenges for minority language media distribution. A case study of Kashubian and Silesian in the Polish context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/sce.01103Keywords:
European minority languages, media, media density, media policy, language revitalisation policy, sociolinguisticsAbstract
This article examines and discusses the challenges faced by minority language media outlets due to the rise of online media. It questions whether the representation and sustainability of minority languages in the European Union’s evolving media landscape can be effectively supported in light of rapid digital advancements in modern journalism. This study explores the traditional (press, radio, TV) and digital media systems in Kashubian and Silesian, the two most-spoken minority languages in Poland, examining their distribution and relative weight among their speaking populations from 2006 to 2024. The results showed an asymmetrical growth of traditional outlets as opposed to digital ones among both communities, owing largely to a lack of public policy initiatives within the free-market digital space and subsequent algorithmic prioritisation of majority languages. The article thus calls for new policy initiatives to enhance and develop new media services in minority languages.
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