Among different types of mass media available in Basque language print has the largest amount audience. The newspapers with social initiation reach the highest amount of readers, but there are also specialist magazines in Euskara, which cover very different areas: from academic to entertainment - to approach to different specters of readers. In the case of television, programs in Basque, in comparison with those in Spanish, have larger audience while broadcasting genres with social characters, miscellaneous, cultural contents and sports - where audience can identify with the language. It is similar with radio. The media in Basque, in comparison with Spanish, in the Basque country, is never higher than 20%, but the number and the offer has been growing lately. So broadcasts in Spanish are still clearly favored and more numerous.
If we compare the case of Basque language with Catalane, which were both damaged during the Civil War – Basque was even banned, and in Catalan - a lot of books were burned and destroyed by the troops to prevent its usage. Nowadays their situation comparing to Spanish is quite similar – considering the percentages of released magazines, websites in those language and also the existence of the radios – locals and the ones broadcasting to the certain language-speaking area. Although, the number of media consumers in Catalane is much higher, we have to take into account that there is at least ten times more people literate in Catalan than in Basque. But the media in both languages is spreading its brunches – in press, TV, radio and also internet.
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You collected very well the main ideas of this topic. Maybe we should add that the demand of media in Basque is still very incipient. Still there are only a few regular users of the media in Basque, and the media’s offer is also quiet poor. It is very much targeted to children. You know, the eternal paradox: No public, no economic investment/ No economic investment, no public. Agurtzane
OdgovoriIzbrišiI agree with you and I liked the post, but i'd like to add that these two languages (and also other minority languages) could be successful on internet, as there is more freedom than in press or TV, so it is also a media to take into account.
OdgovoriIzbrišiIn my opinion you have explained very well your conclusions about this topic. I agree with you when you say that both languages(Catalan and Euskera) are in the same situation, they are "eclipsed" by Spanish. And, unfortunately, the Basque more than the Catalan. But, I´d like to add that if we compare these minorities languages with others, we will realize that they are more used in Internet than the other languages.
OdgovoriIzbrišiGood post!
I think Basque and Catalan usage had not been prosecuted just for Civil war, but also during the whole 36 years of reign of Franco, hadn’t it? That should explain why the number of speakers of this language was so limited in 1975, and why it is still hard to make those languages getting born again.
OdgovoriIzbriši