Monitoring the Screens: Current Challenges of Minority Language Media in the Context of the Council of Europe

Abstract The rapidly changing media landscape affects all areas of society, but minoritized groups and media in minority languages can be particularly precarious. Therefore, after a short outlook on the relevant regulation and case-law in the context of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the EU, this paper unpacks media trends and challenges minority language media faces in a post-Covid-19 era, then looks at how international monitoring handles the most recent challenges. Specifically, monitoring materials under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages from the past five years are analysed with the aim to ascertain to what extent the Advisory Committee and the Committee of Experts are prepared to interpret media provisions in a way that satisfies the needs of changing times. Finally, the paper outlines precisely where Council of Europe monitoring could be strengthened.