Lost in Translation?

Lost in Translation? Language policy, media and community in the EU and Australia: some lessons from the SBS Aneta Podkalicka B.A. Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Kraków; M.A. Uniwersytet Wrocławski; Wrocław, M.A. Ruhr-Universität, Bochum A dissertation presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology 2007 Keywords Language Translation Policy Public service broadcasting Cultural citizenship TV programming Abstract Cultural diversity is a central issue of our times, although with different emphases in the European and Australian context. Media and communication studies have begun to draw on work in translation studies to understand how diversity is experienced across hybrid cultures. Translation is required both for multilingual (multicultural) societies such as Australia and for trans-national entities such as the European Union. Translation is also of increasing importance politically and even emotionally as individual nations and regions face the challenge of globalisation, migration, and the Americanisation of media content. The thesis draws on cultural and media policy analysis. Programming strategies are reviewed and ‘conversational’ interviews conducted with broadcasting managers and staff at SBS Australia and across multilingual public broadcasters in the EU (BBC WS, Deutsche Welle, ARTE, Radio Multikulti Berlin, Barcelona Televisió). These are used to investigate the issues, challenges, and uses of the multilingual broadcasting logic for Australia’s and Europe’s cultural realities. This thesis uses the concept of ‘translation’ as a key metaphor for bridging differences and establishing connections among multicultural citizens in the context of the European Union and Australia. It is proposed that of the two versions of translation – institutional in the EU and mediated in Australia respectively – the mediated version has achieved higher success in engaging ordinary citizens in more affective, informal and everyday forms of cross-cultural communication. Specifically, the experience of the Special Broadcasting Service (Australia’s multilingual and multicultural public broadcaster) serves as a model to illuminate the cultural consequences of the failure of the EU to develop translation practices beyond the level of official, institutional and political communication. The main finding is the identification of a need for more mediated interlingual exchange ; that is a translation of language policy in Europe into media experience for ordinary citizen-consumers, at both institutional and textual levels. Acknowledgments I thank my supervisor John Hartley, who assisted me with his guidance, insight and support throughout the whole candidature. The wise words of Christina Spurgeon, Lee Duffield, and Ellie Rennie (my associate supervisors) always pointed me in right direction. Acknowledgments also go to everyone who talked to me about my thesis, especially all my interviewees from the broadcasting industry. And finally, thanks to my family and friends, both in Australia and Europe, who always put up with me. Statement of Original Authorship This work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signature Date Table of contents List of figures .......................................................................................................................... i List of tables............................................................................................................................ i List of acronyms..................................................................................................................... ii List of interviews...................................................................................................................iii INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 PRESENTATION OF TWO VERSIONS OF TRANSLATION: INSTITUTIONAL VERSUS MEDIATED ................................................ 6 EUROPEAN MODEL ................................................................................ 6 AUSTRALIAN MODEL.......................................................................... 11 RESEARCH METHODS ......................................................................... 18 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS ............................................................................... 21 1 THE EUROPEAN UNION AND POLITICS: EU LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION POLICIES................................................................ 23 1.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 24 1.2 A COMMON LANGUAGE VERSUS EUROPE’S MULTILINGUALISM..... 26 1.3 EU LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION POLICY........................................... 30 Equitable or asymmetrical communication............................................... 32 Multilingualism......................................................................................... 35 Knowledge economy................................................................................. 38 Promotion of regional and lesser-used languages..................................... 39 1.4 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 42 2 THEORETICAL CONTEXTS FOR INTERLINGUAL CITIZENSHIP POLICY: METHODOLOGY...................................................................... 46 2.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 46 2.2 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT OF TRANSLATION: ‘STATE’ MECHANISMS OF REGULATION AND POLICY......................................... 48 EU as a post-national experiment ............................................................. 48 Language/translation and power relations ................................................ 52 2.3 ‘MEANING’: INTERPRATIVE VALUE AND ASSESSMENT OF EVERYDAY LIFE.............................................................................................. 59 Media, communication, cultural, and post-colonial studies...................... 59 Cosmopolitanism ...................................................................................... 68 Semiotics, literary and translation studies................................................. 70 Lotman’s translation.................................................................................. 71 Flusser’s principle of dialogue and the concept of networking ................ 73 Translation studies .................................................................................... 75 Umberto Eco ............................................................................................. 78 2.4 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 81 Voices in the text....................................................................................... 84 2.5 RESEARCH METHODS.................................................................................... 85 ‘Do you speak my language?’................................................................... 87 ‘Knitty’-gritty of inter-language translation: things to consider in processing interview data.......................................................................... 88 2.6 CONCLUSIONS..................................................................................................89 3 FROM POLITICAL TO CULTURAL CITIZENSHIP: MEDIATED POST-MODERN CITIZENSHIP................................................................ 91 3.1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................91 3.2 IDEOLOGY OF THE NATION-STATE AND UNIFORMITY OF THE OFFICAL LANGUAGE......................................................................................92 3.3 PLURALISED POST-MODERN ORDER .........................................................96 European citizenship ................................................................................. 97 3.4 CULTURAL/MEDIA CITIZENSHIP...............................................................100 Mediasphere ............................................................................................ 103 3.5 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................104 4 EUROPEAN MULTILINGUAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS................................................................................................... 107 4.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................107 4.2 INTERNATIONAL MULTILINGUAL RADIO BROADCASTERS IN EUROPE............................................................................................................111 A new map of broadcast languages: an Arabic phase............................. 115 ‘Missing out on Europe’ or Europe missing ........................................... 117 European programs ................................................................................. 119 National markets ..................................................................................... 120 International versus national ..................................................................

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