Language revitalization through the media: A case study of Amazigh in Morocco

Abstract

Abstract Given the pivotal role mass media play in effecting political and social change, they can also contribute to the revitalization of an endangered or minoritized language if language policies are effectively implemented. Drawing on official documents regarding Amazigh broadcasting on Moroccan public television and interviews with Amazigh experts and media practitioners, this study scrutinizes the efforts exerted to revitalize Amazigh, the language of pre-Arab populations in North Africa. The results of the study indicate that while the status of Amazigh has changed drastically in the last two decades, its dissemination in public television is hampered by political, economic, and logistic forces. The study has implications for the areas of language revitalization, language shift reversal, language policy, and language planning.