Language and Printing Press as Instruments for Ethnic Division: The Case of Macedonia

7/28/2019 Language and Printing Press as Instruments for Ethnic Division: The Case of Macedonia

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Language and Printing Press as Instruments for Ethnic Division:

The Case of Macedonia

Social Science Instructor

Amlie Barras

Academic Writing Instructor

Marius Hentea

Student

Alampioska Biljana

WORD COUNT: 2393

OSI Summer School

August 2010

Istanbul


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Introduction.

Since the modern industrial era emerged in the eighteenth and the nineteenth century, the question

of what is a nation has been raised. According to many, territory, common culture, language and

religion are the main preconditions for a nation. According to Benedict Anderson (1991), nation

states are imagined communities which are socially constructed so people can imagine themselves

as part of a group. They are based among other things on language and print capitalism. Print

languages contribute towards national consciousness by creating unified means for communication

and allowing infinite reproduction of books and printed material. However, although earlier states

were mainly perceived as states of one nation, nowadays nation states are multicultural and contain

number of ethnic groups. In addition, each group has its own language, media, culture and tradition.

Due to capitalism and globalization, as well as literacy and access to media, the diversity of ethnic

groups that live in one nation state is much more visible. Therefore, language and printing press are

not necessarily means for unification, as Anderson stated, but tools that reinforce division and

exclusion. In response to Andersons nation state, Marxs (2005) position on the imagined

communities is that communication and print capitalism can create exclusions and internal

conflicts, and Anderson doesnt recognize them. Sharing a language and press can explain cohesion

among group of people, but cohesion is not equal to nationalism.

The case of Macedonia will be of a particular interest for this paper due to the diversity of

ethnic groups that co-exist in the country and the importance of the printing press in shaping therelations between them. This paper will argue that printing press in Macedonia creates imagined

realities and exclusion, thus reinforcing ethnic division: a boundary between us and them is

constantly being created with the help of words (Kolst 2009). In order to understand the reason

why printing press has such an influence in Macedonia, it is important to understand the context of

the country. Therefore the first part of this paper will provide background information about

Macedonia and the second part will talk about the role of the printing press through a content

analysis of articles in two major newspapers.

The context of the Macedonian nation-state.

The people of one nation state imagine themselves as a part of a whole with the help of the press

and the language, although they will never establish contact or see everyone who belongs to that

nation (Anderson, 1991). Since its independence (September 8th

, 1991) Macedonia hasnt managed

to build itself as Anderson nation-state, but as a nation state based on multi-ethnicity and

multiculturalism. Several ethnic communities co-exist in the country. Macedonians are the major

ethnic group (65,17%), followed by Albanians (25,17%), Turks (3,85%), Roma (2,66%), Serbs (1,78%),


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Vlach (0,46) and others (Republic of Macedonia: State Statistical Office 2009). Basic national

questions, such as state symbols, language and borders even after nineteen years of independence

remain unresolved.

One of the reasons this happens is because the state has had a minor role in unifying the

different ethnic groups into one nation. In strong states, such as France, unity among the different

groups was built with the means of standardizing language, providing education and creating maps

(Weber 1976). Weak states, on the other hand, have no authority, power, or influence over the

people and therefore ethnicity becomes more important than the nation. This is the case with

Macedonia. Having a state that is rather weak and having a government that is divided among

different ethnic groups and political parties does not help in building a united nation state. It is

because of the weakness of the state conflicts, disagreements and even violence have occurred.

The role of print in Macedonia.

The ethnic diversity and the weakness of the state gave the opportunity to other agents and factors

to shape public opinion and affect the processes of interethnic communication, cooperation and

democracy. In the case of Macedonia, the media play that role. The media is expected to inform, to

provide wide-ranging news and to influence the public thinking. However, the media that was

established in the languages of different ethnic groups, mainly Macedonian and Albanian created aparallel media system that didnt promote cultural and linguistic development or diversity

awareness (Busch and Kelly-Holmes 2004). The diversity of languages meant that spreading verbal

communication or literacy could have had the opposite effect, reinforcing local or ethnic differences

(Marx 2005, p.15). In opposition to Andersons theory that printing press serves as tool for keeping

the nation state together as an imagined community, in Macedonia the language and the printing

press facilitate segregation and exclusion. Although most of the newspapers present themselves as

inclusive, non-biased and balanced they [contribute] to the fragmentation of the public sphere into

parallel and mutually exclusive public spheres (Husband 2001 cited Busch and Kelly-Holmes 2004,

p.7).

The following case study intends to show that press as well as language used in reporting

assist in segregation and exclusion, and dont promote cohesion among the different ethnic groups.

The case study consists of content analysisi

of articles in two newspapers, namely Dnenvik in

Macedonian, and Koha e Re in Albanian. The purpose I chose these two newspapers is because they

are the most influential newspapers in the country. Both of them are independent. Among the

population they are perceived as the most objective ones, and they present themselves as neutral


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and non-partisan. Dnevnikhas daily circulation of 55 000 and Koha e Re has the highest circulation

among the three Albanian national newspapers.

In the content analysis I am looking at two separate events that are covered in both

newspapers. Study 1 will examine the way the 9th

anniversary of signing the Ohrid Framework

Agreement is covered. I will specifically look at the language and the sources that were used, as well

as specific words, quotes and tone that might alternate realities and create imagined narratives. The

issue of language will be of a particular interest in this study. Study 2 will examine the 9th

anniversary of the Karpalak incident. Through language analysis, as well as quotations from the

articles my goal will be to prove that use of words in specific manner creates labels and negative

images about the other.

Study 1. Ohrid Framework Agreement.

In 2001 Macedonia went through an armed conflict between the Albanian rebels and the

Macedonian Army. The Ohrid Framework Agreement is a result of the conflict resolution process

that followed after the conflict. It was signed on August 13th

, 2001 by the major political parties at

the time, as well as special representatives of the EU and the United States. Its purpose is to

internally regulate the minority rights in Macedonia. Throughout the time issues with interpretation

of the agreement have occurred. Dnevnikand KohaeRe cover the 9th

anniversary of the agreement

in their Current Affairs section because in that section they cover the most important events.The title of Dnevniks article is: The Framework agreement is a successful story (Dnevik

2010a). The title creates positive image about the Ohrid Agreement and it gives the reader the

notion that the agreement is a real accomplishment. The title is followed by content which provides

statements from politicians who claim that the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement has been

going very smooth and well.

The Framework Agreement was a solution for overcoming the hostility in

Macedonia, and it is a specific Macedonian model of multiethnic society based on

integration without assimilation, based on our tradition of mutual respect between the

ethnic communities.(Dnevnik 2010a).

The expressions such as multiethnic society and mutual respect are used in a connotation

that provides the reader positive emotion and gives him the impression of belonging to a

community. Traditions, common myths and history are the bases for a nations existence (Smith

1995). Using the word tradition in this manner empowers the feeling of belonging to one nation.


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The framework agreement is a model of integration (Dnevnik 2010a). The word

integration is a powerful word and very important for the fragile Macedonian society. The use of

this word also reinforces the feeling of unity.

The examples above might contribute to Andersons theory that language creates unity

among the nation and that the printing press conveys the message of coherence and belonging.

However, the following examples from the coverage of the Ohrid Agreement in Koha e Re will show

the opposite.

The title of Koha e Res article is: The state doesnt respect the Albanians (Koha e Re

2010a). The title immediately creates a negative perspective on the situation. The word Albanians

emphasizes the importance of the ethnic group over the nation as whole. The following set of

quotes contributes to feeling of segregation and exclusion: It is wrong to think that the Albanians

always ask for something, and the Macedonians always give something (Koha e Re 2010a); The

Macedonian perception of the Framework agreement is restrictive and the Albanian one is

affirmative (Koha e Re 2010a).These quotes prove Marxs critique on Anderson true because [t]he

content of the messages spread is divisive rather than necessarily unifying (Marx 2005, p.16). The

use of the words Albanian and Macedonian in such connotation creates separation and builds

negative image about the other.

With the Ohrid Framework Agreement the language and the script belonging to

communities which exceed 20% of the total population have become official. On the level of thestate this means that besides Macedonian, Albanian has become official language with certain

limitations. On local level the same solution has been introduced (Skaric, 2004). However, when

giving his definition on nation state and nationalism, Anderson didnt take into consideration the

multilingual countries where the different languages and the separate printing press are not

necessarily going to contribute towards nation-state creation. The following section covers the

language issue in the articles.

Dnevnikuses a quote from the President Gjorge Ivanov: what we did concerning language

10 years ago is now current in the world because all societies are becoming multiethnic and

multilingual (Dnevnik 2010a). On the other hand Koha e Re is using a statement of Abdulaqim

Ademi, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the implementation of the Agreement: The language

law is not implemented in all of the institutions. It often happens that the Albanian people are being

addressed just in Macedonian language. Citizens should use Albanian language in communication

and in the institutions as much as possible (Koha e Re 2010a). These quotes illustrate the

importance of the language for one ethnic community. It is true that the communities imagine

themselves around their language, as Anderson points out. Namely, Macedonians imagine


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themselves with the help of their language and printing press as one coherent community, and the

same rule applies to Albanians. However, it is not true that the theory of imagined communities can

be applied in the multilingual and multiethnic nation states. In these states language and press

emphasize the differences, construct alternate realities and promote division. They help the ethnic

communities to imagine themselves, but they do not construct a feeling of nation and nationality.

Study 2. 9th

Anniversary of Karpalak.

Karpalak is an event that happened in August 2001 when 10 members of the Macedonian Army

were killed in the place called Karpalak. The event happened right before the Ohrid Framework

Agreement was signed. This event is very sensitive issue, especially for the Macedonian ethnic

group. Biases exist when reporting about it.

Dnevniksreport on this event is very poetic and emotional: Next to the Tetovo-Skopje road,

in front of the marble plate- the only symbol in memory of the killed, the 9th

anniversary of the

murder was marked (Dnevnik 2010b). Furthermore: We need to be proud that they gave their life

and responded to the call of their motherland (Dnevnik 2010b). Expressions such as marble plate,

only symbol in memory, and motherland are used in order to provoke emotions among the

readers. This kind of reporting is very one-sided and biased. It creates compassion towards the

Macedonians, but hatred towards the Albanians. Dnevnik(2010) names this event as the murder of

10 army reservists.

Koha e Re reports on this event in different manner and from different point of view. It

names the event armed incident. Kohas article is using the anniversary of this event to convey the

opinion of the Albanian opposition party. Throughout the article they protest about the use of the

word terrorist as synonym for the Albanian rebels in the 2001 conflict : I appeal to the Government

and its officials to distance themselves from such terrorist statements. They can portray the

Albanian Rebels Army as terroristic, but they cannot get away from the fact that their coalition

partner was part of that terrorist formation (Koha e Re 2010b).

What can be noticed from the articles is that in a bottom line it all comes to the use of

language. Using the word terrorist creates very negative image about the Albanian ethnic group, as

well as stereotypes, intolerance, separation and exclusion. Therefore it wont be a mistake to agree

with Marx that language and press create segregation and internal conflicts. Language and press

portray image and reality about the other which is based on words, assumptions and message of

distance and separation.


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Conclusion

Language and printing press cannot be taken for granted as unifiers of a nation. In a multicultural

society, such as Macedonia, ethnic segregation can lead towards competition of identities and

weaken the already fragile cohesion of the state. This is due to the fact that each ethnic group has a

newspaper in its own language. The newspaper articles use language which portrays the other

ethnic group in a negative manner. The consequence is creation of exclusion. The previously

analyzed studies show that in Macedonia the printing press manipulates the population, and fosters

and reinforces division rather than unity. Linguistic activities had tended to emphasize differences

(Busch and Kelly-Holmes 2004, p.8). There is notion of us and them that is a result of the

imagination of each ethnic group as a separate entity. The printing press transmits the message that

[W]e always identify a boundary separating us from them(Kolst 2009, p.17). Therefore

redefining the role of the printing press and teaching tolerance is essential in order for the

Macedonian society to be diverse, yet unified. It is time to discover the forbidden, mysterious,

intriguing and alien other.


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iThe translation of the newspaper content is done by the author of this paper.

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Marx,A.W., 2003. Faith in nation: exclusionary origins of nationalism. New York: Oxford University

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Smith,A.D., 1995. Nations and Nationalism in a Global Era. Cambridge: Polity.

Weber, E., 1976. Peasants into Frenchman. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Skaric, S., 2004. Ohrid agreement and minority communities in Macedonia. In:Prospects of

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Dnevnik, 2010a. The framework agreement is a successful story. Dnevnik, 14.08.2010,p.5

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Language and Printing Press as Instruments for Ethnic Division: The Case of Macedonia

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