NATION, CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN A FRENCH-LANGUAGE CORSICAN NEWSPAPER

This article presents data from a small-scale empirical research project examining the relationship(s) between language, identity and journalism on Corsica. Focusing on Corse-Matin, a local newspaper bought daily by over 20 per cent of the island's population, the article draws on two research methods. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with head and regional editors as well as journalists serving key towns and districts on the island. Second, the newspaper itself was analysed using quantitative content analysis. Both methods were structured around three broadly framed research questions. First, what kinds of stories does the newspaper print and how does the content relate to the lives of the inhabitants of the islands? Second, previous research on Corsica shows that there is a constant potential for tension in public discourse between “French-ness” and “Corsican-ness”: to what extent is this reflected in Corse-Matin's reporting? Third, are there any notable absences in reporting outputs? The results demonstrate the pressures and paradoxes of a local newspaper representing the local community.