Indigenous media and language ideologies: Uncovering prejudices and possibilities in Perú

Indigenous languages are fundamental to Peruvian culture; however, these languages, known as lenguas originarias, are both underrepresented and misrepresented in the country’s media ecosystem. This study applies the theory of language ideologies to the context of Peruvian Indigenous children’s television programming. The authors conducted open-ended surveys with 17 students and in-depth interviews with seven students and two media professionals, analyzing the data through critical discourse analysis (CDA). The findings reveal a lack of representation, stigmatization, and youth apathy toward programming in lenguas originarias; while simultaneously connecting these languages to the concept of Peruvianness. Participants propose a digital framework to overcome the negative ideologies associated with programming in lenguas originarias.