A comparative analysis of the media discourse, which reflects public opinion on the problems of the state languages of the republics of Southern Siberia — Khakass, Tuvan and Altai — in the regional communicative space, reveales the commonality and differences in the activity, focus and emotional intensity of the discussions. The following main lines of argumentation are presented in the media discourse of the three republics: a) protection of linguistic rights and social justice; b) the inseparability of the connection between ethnicity and language; c) pragmatism; d) search for those guilty. The dichotomy of the designation of the responsibility for the language shift and the level of adequacy of the language policy — native speakers / government authorities — is revealed, which is accompanied with emotional and aggressively ignorant discursive practices. The correlation of regional features of media discourse with the level of vitality of the state languages can be found: the stronger the position of the language, the stronger and more organized is its public support, affecting the constructiveness of dialogue with the authorities. The recognition of the presence of vitality threats, despite of the state status, is common in the media discourse of the republics of Southern Siberia.