About the Journal

The International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse is a journal dedicated to the dissemination of research about indigenous language media and communication around the world. The journal is dedicated to scholarship around media and discourses made in languages considered to be indigenous, local and minority. It is a platform for media and communication scholarship that most often does not receive attention in mainstream scholarly outlets. It, therefore, plugs the gap for scholarship focused on the area. The journal focuses on issues of cultural conflict, indigenous languages in the media, the contrast between public and private financing of the media, the media and identity, the media and politics, the internet, media and democracy, media and development, as well as traditional communication/media systems and their applications. Indigenous language media studies is a distinct area of study, overlapping with, but separate from indigenous language studies and media studies. Mainstream media studies have not shown much interest in indigenous languages so far. This is partly, perhaps, because of its bias towards urban society, linked to the perception of indigenous languages as being somehow linked to the past rather than the future, and partly also because of the linguistic requirements and the need to understand the languages in question. Thus, by enhancing the awareness of indigenous language media studies as a legitimate area of scholarship in its own right, it is possible to set the conditions allowing indigenous language media studies to contribute fully to debates about indigenous languages and cultures. A main concern of this area of scholarship has to do with the role that the media can play in supporting a language and its culture. This is to say that supporting and promoting indigenous language media and discourses by directing academic focus on them has a significant role to play in the maintenance of languages and cultures. Amongst others, the journal will focus on indigenous language journalism, the adoption and impact of digital technologies on indigenous language media and communication, democracy and development communication in indigenous language journalism, corporate communication in indigenous languages, management and the political economy of indigenous language media, popular culture in indigenous languages, and indigenous communication systems.

Comparative research of the dominant language media and cultures with the indigenous language media and cultures is also welcome.