The cultural politics of minority language media

Abstract

Minority language media are increasingly being recognized as an important area of study. This article looks at what might be made in favour of such media - arguments that would be convincing not just for people committed to minority languages, but also to the broader population of speakers of other languages. Three arguments are developed. The first is from economics, the second is based on human rights, and the third concerns cultural ecology. Within these, and in their cumulative power, lies a convincing demonstration not just of the necessity of media in minority languages, but also concerning their importance to speakers of other, more populated languages. The situation of Gaelic in Scotland is described as an example of how these arguments might apply in the case of a specific threatened language, and finally the position of minority languages within the postmodern and globalizing world is considered. It is shown that, rather than being part of any outmoded world-views, minority languages fit very comfortably into the new global situation.