IJILMD: International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse Publishes Inaugural Issue

Story by OJ Ogundeyi

The International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse (IJILMD) has officially published its first issue. The journal is a scholarly initiative under the Indigenous Language Media in Africa research focus area within the Faculty of Humanities at North-West University (NWU), South Africa.

IJILMD was formally launched during the International Association for Minority Language Media Research (IAMLMR) Biennial Conference held in July 2024 at NWU’s Mahikeng Campus. The journal aims to provide a dedicated platform for critical engagement with themes surrounding indigenous language media, cultural diversity, identity, and the inclusion of indigenous communities and their cultures in media discourse.

The inaugural issue was released on 21 May 2025, featuring contributions from leading scholars in the field, including Prof. Toyin Falola, Prof. Molefi Kete Asante, Prof. Natasha Ravyse, and Prof. Gilbert Motsaathebe. Their articles offer profound and thought-provoking insights into contemporary issues related to indigenous languages and media.

Prof. Toyin Falola’s article, Communication, Media, Culture, and Evolving Trends in the World of Indigenous Languages, highlights the role of language as a gateway to understanding a community’s historical and cultural legacy. Prof. Natasha Ravyse contributes an in-depth study titled Community-Based Revitalisation of Nama in the Northern Cape, applying UNESCO’s (2003) nine factors for assessing language vitality. Her research emphasizes the necessity of sustained and gradual efforts for effective language revitalization.

In his piece titled Afrocentricity, Prof. Molefi Kete Asante advocates for a framework where African agency takes center stage in the interpretation of African experiences and knowledge systems. Meanwhile, Prof. Gilbert Motsaathebe’s article, Unveiling Multicultural and Multilingual Positioning Theory as Normative Ideal in Multilingual Contexts, explores critical issues within multilingual societies, using South Africa as a key example.

This first edition not only sets the tone for the journal’s scholarly direction but also affirms IJILMD’s commitment to promoting and disseminating research in indigenous and minority language media, media and communication studies, multiculturalism, identity, and cultural discourse.

The first issue of IJILMD can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.36386/ijilmd.v1i1