The news meetings at the Beeb must be
repetitive affairs lately as people decide which census details should be the
lead story on Good Morning Wales.
Elsewhere we find that Wales has the
highest proportion of chronic sickness in the UK and the largest proportion of
carers unable to seek employment. We have a situation whereby 26% of adults have
no formal qualifications, including GCSEs, A-levels and apprenticeships.
Yet for a second successive morning, Radio Wales was leading on
the decline of Welsh language usage, with an emerging theme that it is the
result of inward migration.
At a time when Wales desperately needs people back in work and
being productive, it seems amazing that the focus is so firmly set on the
cultural issues. Then again, recent events have shown that the public broadcaster
has an established tendency of indulging its own agenda.
Could the highlighting of diminished audiences and the on-going osmosis of S4C possibly be linked?
Could the highlighting of diminished audiences and the on-going osmosis of S4C possibly be linked?
In-ward migration is linked to language decline and indeed in increase in sickness levels as well as lower qualification levels. I'm surprised you cannot make the connection.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have evidence of this, of course.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that Auntie is highlighting the decline of the Welsh language so that it can reduce its broadcasting commitments is counter-intuitive to say the least. I expect someone from Llandaff Villas to soon start making noises on how the corporation has a continuing responsibility to foster Welsh culture.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a mistake to place the issue of the language and the weakness of the Welsh economy as separate or even opposed issues- the majority of the commentary identifies the problems faced by the language as a symptom of the very economic problems you refer to, including lack of jobs and affordable homes in west Wales and in Wales more generally and which in turn has led to large scale emigration, including Welsh-speakers. Economic empowerment in Wales is an essential prerequisite of improving the lives of all people, regardless of their language or background.
ReplyDelete