Abstract
This paper examines the evolving role of minority language newspapers in the digital age, focusing on their potential to reach audiences beyond their traditional regional boundaries. While digitalisation is often perceived as an existential threat, it also offers opportunities for minority language media to expand their audiences and influence, potentially leading to a process of ‘deminoritisation’ – where these media outlets transcend their minority status. This article combines quantitative analysis of audience data with qualitative interviews to evaluate how minority language newspapers are succeeding as cross-border media in the digital landscape.
The analysis of online audience data from several European minority language newspapers offers insights into the geographical distribution of their digital readership. Preliminary findings indicate that, in some cases, they are successfully attracting audiences from outside their traditional circulation areas, particularly from neighbouring countries. Semi-structured interviews with newspaper representatives complement this data and provide insights into how they strategically position themselves as cross-border media, while generally still demonstrating a prioritised commitment to their respective minorities.
While the findings are still preliminary, this research seeks to highlight the evolving role of minority language newspapers in an increasingly interconnected digital media landscape and to explore their potential to serve both core minority language communities and wider audiences.