Telling the people apart: the role of the news media in South Tyrol’s linguistic divide

Every day, the front pages of South Tyrolean newspapers differ significantly in the issues and events they choose to cover. While the system of corporate consociationalism has been successful in preventing conflict between the linguistic groups, it also contributes to the separation of aspects of everyday life, including the news media, along linguistic lines. A study of 300 newspaper front pages from 2025 provides evidence of this divide. These separate media environments create information silos that can limit people’s awareness of events across the province, potentially affecting political decision-making and weakening the development of a shared South Tyrolean identity.