Minority languages in social media: A comparative European study of digital vitality

Abstract

This article explores how the role of media in supporting minority languages is evolving in response to the expanding digital media landscape in the EU. It examines how the use of minority languages in media is influenced by their status within the growing digital market. As digital media become more dominant in everyday life, minority languages are susceptible to negative shifts, particularly with the rise of internet-based platforms. Through the analysis of four minority language secessionist movements (Scottish Gaelic, Provençal, Andalusian, and Silesian), the article examines whether each context can still support minority languages institutionally in their respective media landscape, and what conditions are necessary for that support. It also questions how EU policies aimed at protecting and promoting these languages can remain effective if they aren’t adapted to fit the new digital realities. The significance of the study thus stems from its direct comparative approach and its comprehensive update of existing academic literature, assessing the changes that took place across the four media systems. The results showed an asymmetrical growth of traditional outlets as opposed to digital ones among all 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 a synthesis of top-down policy initiatives with bottom-up grassroots movements to enhance and develop new media services in minority languages.