Exceptional but not unexpected. Can a news program in Sardinian go viral in the varied and capricious social world? Can it cross national borders and become an example not only for other minority languages but also for regional dialects? A good signal in this sense comes from the Sardinia 1 news which for several months (especially on Instagram and TikTok) has been recording numbers that would be the envy of many well-paid influencers. Around 800 thousand views for the road crossing of a flamingo in Cagliari (and it fits), over 500 thousand for less minor news, therefore logically less of a social impact, such as a meningitis infection. And among the hundreds of comments, the "envy" of those on the other side of the sea emerges, hoping for a news program like this also in Veneto or Sicily.

To better understand what is happening we went to the editorial office of Sardegna 1 to meet the journalist Paola Pilia, one of the four faces of the news of the television network of the editorial group L'Unione Sarda, and together we delved deeper and from behind the scenes.

Paola Pilia, how to explain this social success?

«Perhaps because the contents we offer are varied. They range from strictly current affairs to curiosities, including linguistic ones. Furthermore, there are subtitles in Italian which help those who don't know Sardinian but are curious to learn it and are useful for those who want to improve it. What also counts is the virality that is triggered even for random reasons and which makes the posts circulate wildly. Above all: we have a good social media manager, Enzo Asuni, who knows how to enhance the most effective services, understanding and anticipating their potential".

Is there also a growing interest among the new generations of digital natives towards our language?

«Yes, there are many young people who comment and share our posts, especially on TikTok, the social network where we have the most views. Furthermore, we don't have a desert around us but a beautiful reality of contents in the Sardinian language that broaden the community and make it increasingly active and socially relevant. For example, there is a very lively scene of young musicians who have chosen Sardinian as their main language. As well as a very active scientific community made up of university researchers and popularizers who communicate mainly in Sardinian."

How is the choice of news made?

«The Sardinia 1 news was born from the Videolina news. A beautiful synergy with colleagues, with whom we work side by side. We also share the study."

There are four of you hosting the Sardinia 1 news. Four variations of Sardinian.

"Well yes. There are Gianni Zanata and Carla Mura who are from Cagliari. Giovanni Runchina is from Silanus and I am from Ogliastra, from Ulassai. The news is simply in Sardinian. The most important objective that we have achieved in two years is to push the variations into the background and get viewers used to the fact that there are different dialects and that they can all be understood easily."

Never controversies? Disputes? Sardinian and its use are often a field of bitter comparisons.

«Of course, especially in posts that are viral. There are those who dispute the use of a term and those who claim to establish which is the most authentic Sardinian. But there are fewer and fewer than when we started. And there are more people who comment on the news writing in Sardinian. It is an unexpected result precisely because the criticism towards those who make mistakes is merciless."

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