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This paper will examine the function and remit of Eurolang News.
Eurolang news agency was established by EBLUL in 2000. Its primary function then was as a news bulletin to keep EBLUL’s constituent language communities informed about developments in the EU institutions and language news from the communities themselves via network journalists across Europe. It also acted to inform other news agencies.
Since then Eurolang has gained its own readership and greatly expanded its network of contributors and number of working languages. Equipped with a new website in July 2005, it now aims to set the media agenda as a key EU actor, as well as continuing to contribute to other media. It operates in the field where language meets politics, has a more “campaign journalism” feel to it, and has broadened its remit to cover broader issues that affect language communities. Its role increasingly, besides expanding its readership, is to keep the chief actors from the language NGOs, concerned politicians and academics, up to speed with key events in the EU as well as from the language communities.
Eurolang’s other chief function is that it publishes stories from the language communities themselves and in their language. These stories will often be of vital importance to the language community yet are often ignored by the mainstream media and deemed as unimportant.
The future for Eurolang is digital, we hope soon to be publishing sound and video clips. Also, to raise revenue from advertising, expand the magazine section and publish a print version.
