The impact of rapid technological developments, such as the expansion of the Internet and social media, on the way regional and minority language media work in Europe, as well as other new challenges they bring in the context of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages is the theme of an expert meeting taking place in Brussels on 6-7 April 2017. The meeting participants working with the European Charter, as well as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, will discuss how to take into account these technological and social developments when monitoring the language situation in member states in the future, and will seek to come up with conclusions for the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the language charter.
Professor Jarmo Lainio, Chairperson of the working group on media under the language charter, in his interview provides an overview of the current situation with minority languages, the challenges they face and prospects for their development; looks at how the development of technology, especially social media, has impacted these languages; analyses the situation with minority languages education; and explains the changes that have occurred over the past 20 years in minority language media.
