Building authority through linguistic purism in digital media: the rise of a Catalan language influencer

This paper investigates the construction of linguistic authority in digital media through the case of Catalan influencer Josep Maria Virgili, who disseminates linguistic purism by correcting users and promoting a Castilian-free model of Catalan. Findings show that Virgili has established himself as a recognised authority by combining a strong online presence, frequent and courteous engagement with followers, and the ability to unite speakers around a shared ideology of linguistic authenticity. This case illustrates how non-official actors can mediate language ideology, challenge standard language norms, and shape perceptions of correctness in minoritised linguistic markets. Social media is also shown to act as a site for the negotiation of norms, the propagation of purism, and the mobilisation of language as a marker of identity, which demonstrates that alternative linguistic marketplaces can emerge when traditional authority is perceived as insufficient or compromised.