ECMI research on minority language media strengthened by activities in Galicia
The Politics & Civil Society Research Cluster researchers Sergiusz Bober and Craig Willis continue to work on the topic of minority language media as one of the key themes in their focus.
Last week in Santiago de Compostela, together with the ECMI visiting researcher Facundo Reyna-Muniain and alongside local Galician partners, they organised three days of intense discussions on varying shared challenges facing minority language media. Researchers with expertise from over a dozen linguistic spheres addressed specific media-related issues, whilst aiming to also identify transferable examples of best practice.
Wednesday 22 March included a series of roundtables involving researchers from Galicia as well as visiting scholars from across Europe. The opening session, besides Sergiusz as a representative of the ECMI, featured Prof. Xosé Manoel Nuñez Seixas (CCG - Consello da Cultura Galega / The Council for Galician Culture), Prof. Xosé Luís Regueira (ILG - Instituto da Lingua Galega / The Galician Language Institute), Prof. Marta Pereiro (USC - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela / The University of Santiago de Compostela) and Valentin García Goméz (Minister for Language Policy - Xunta de Galicia / Regional Government of Galicia). The following debates were organised thematically into ‘audiovisual minority language media in education and accessibility through subtitling’, ‘printed press and challenges of digitalisation’, ‘shortcomings of outdated legislation’, and ‘the role of social media in enhancing the plurality of the media landscape’. In addition, several authors of the recently published volume ‘Perante a nova Lei do Audiovisual: Análise e perspectivas / The New Audiovisual Law: Analysis and Perspectives’ were present to launch their book – featuring several relevant themes for the audience present. The event was hosted by the CCG.
Thursday 23 and Friday 24 March then saw the group of visiting researchers working together on a potential future funding application around topics related to minority language media. These days were hosted by the Department of Communication Sciences and the ILG of the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Earlier in the week, the ECMI team visited the regional public broadcaster, Televisión de Galicia (TVG) alongside Prof. Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones (MLM expert scholar, JEMIE Editorial Board member and Craig’s second PhD supervisor) and the director of the ILG Prof. Regueira. They were shown around the different departments and given a chance to ask expert practitioners about their ongoing challenges, as well as innovative solutions. The intense stay in Galicia ended with Sergiusz and Facundo’s field work activities concerning their research project on minority language media journalists. In this context, they conducted an in-depth interview with Rebeca Munín, editor in chief of the Galician-language magazine Pincha.
The ECMI is grateful for the institutional support of all partners involved, as well as funding received from the Secretaria Xeral de Política Lingüística of the Regional Government of Galicia.
