Media in Jamaica
“Creole languages are traditionally associated with a negative image.” (Mühleisen, 2002, p. 3)
According to Michael Westphal (2011), in Jamaica, along with most of the Caribbean countries, creole languages exist side by side with its lexifier – European language of the country’s former colonist-. Standard languages are given more prestige having the official status which keeps creoles almost unused in the media. This disqualification form the media can also be due to creoles’ lack of official orthography.
In the case of Jamaica, Jamaican Creole also called ‘Patois’ is generally used in informal settings, while Jamaican Standard English is used in formal domains including government, education, and media. However, the use is not exclusive, as JC has been used in the media quite frequently. The media circle has changed since the 1960s, and so the rigid dichotomy does not exist anymore. The spread of Jamaican Creole, what is locally referred to as ‘Patois’, into broadcasting media in Jamaica is directly linked to the increasing acceptance of ‘Patois’.
In the case of Jamaica, Jamaican Creole also called ‘Patois’ is generally used in informal settings, while Jamaican Standard English is used in formal domains including government, education, and media. However, the use is not exclusive, as JC has been used in the media quite frequently. The media circle has changed since the 1960s, and so the rigid dichotomy does not exist anymore. The spread of Jamaican Creole, what is locally referred to as ‘Patois’, into broadcasting media in Jamaica is directly linked to the increasing acceptance of ‘Patois’.
Creole almost superseded English in the theatre and is no longer unusual in advertisements in the press and on radio and television. Creole speakers dominate talk shows on radio in which callers are allowed to express their opinion freely. The lyrics of the Reggae music now popular throughout the world are in Creole for the most part. Creole has long been the universal language of newspaper cartoons and in them it is put nowadays in the mouths of members of all social classes, from the Prime Minister to the man in the streets. (Christie, 2003, p. 2)
Michael Westphal (2011) thinks that the part which Jamaican Creole plays in broadcasting media, especially the radio, may lead to its standardazation. So maybe Jamaica will follow the trend that started in other Caribbean countries, and make the creole variety an official language.
Theories for the description of the linguistic situation in Jamaican broadcasting
The language situation in the media is directly linked to the linguistic situation in Jamaica and thus shares its complexity. Instead of assuming one correct model and trying to apply and verify it, different theories are used to analyze the changing linguistic situation in radio. As there are diverse shows and different stations, and due to the drastic changes over the time of broadcasting in Jamaica the need for applying different theories is even greater. (Westphal, 2011, p. 5)