Translation policy in the media

Abstract

Although Persian is the official language in Iran, legal provisions are available for the use of minority languages in the media. Recent scholarship describes ‘Persianization’ as the ‘building block’ of language policy, overlooking the use of minority languages in official media. This paper examines the scope of this minority language provision in the television programs broadcasted by the state in Kurdistan. It illustrates the use of translation and bilingualism working alongside official monolingualism, calling into question the issue of Persianization. The article first describes the use of non-Persian languages in Iranian state media and shows their proportion vis-a-vis official Persian. Second, it examines the use of Kurdish and the weight of translation in the television programs under study. Advocating translational justice, the paper calls for a clear translation policy and more translation to be offered for programs broadcasted for Kurdish minorities to ensure equal access to media.

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