Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine, from Glottopolitics’ theoretical framework, the role assigned to the written media in the context of the panhispanic language policy that Spain has implemented in recent decades, through the analysis of one of its devices: the International Congresses of the Spanish Language (CILE). These events are organized by the Cervantes Institute, the Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language to reflect and discuss the public agenda of Spanish. The analysis centres on two aspects: 1. the space that the mass media occupies, especially that of the press in the programs of the first CILE (1997-2007) and 2. a set of speeches that reflect on the use of language in this medium. The study shows the permanence of a purist linguistic ideology throughout the congresses. In addition, a displacement of the role of the media that takes part in these meetings is observed from a place of struggle -in the I CILE of 1997- with the academies of the language for the functions relating to every sector, to one that complements the panhispanic language policy.

Key Words: panhispanic language policy; written media; language ideology; International Congresses of the Spanish Language; academies of language