Minority language media studies beyond eurocentrism: Cormack’s seven conditions revisited

Abstract

In an article that would later be considered the first step towards the development of the Minority Language Media (MLM) area of studies, Cormack provided a set of interlocking variables that he considered should be taken into account to assess the chances for success of MLM development. Since Cormack’s original remit was exclusive to Western Europe, and the area of studies of MLM has developed further worldwide, it becomes important to address whether those seven factors apply equally to other cases. This article tests those variables beyond the European context to assess the theoretical construct. It presents a comparison of the development of MLM outlets in Wales, a European case, and Colombia, an example of a non-European case, based on existing literature. Finally, the article proposes changes in two of the conditions and recommends a more open approach to assessing the conditions, in order for the theoretical construct to be applied elsewhere.