Mediacentric spaces and physical spaces in minority language use: A case study on the Basque language press

Abstract

In an era when the relationship between communications and physical spaces has been deeply modified, one must wonder about how these changes affect the dynamics of minority languages whose speakers are scattered throughout the territory of a hegemonic language. Joshua Fishman’s concept of ‘physical breathing space’ refers to the need of these languages to have a dense space available to them, where the language’s reproduction is in some way guaranteed. By analysing a case study on Basque language press, we will try to understand how mediacentric spaces can act as such breathing spaces. Choosing the printed press as our subject allows us to examine the correlation between the density of speakers and circulation of media. The analysis is completed with a set of in-depth interviews that illustrate some attitudes towards media in Basque among speakers in environments with a low density.