‘Let your voice be heard’, is a small but hopefully useful guide that aims at enhancing the media activism of Roma organisations and advocates.
It has been produced in collaboration with ‘Redattore Sociale’ (www.redattoresociale.it), an Italian news-agency specialising in social issues, which is among the few media sources that depict the Roma situation without prejudices, stereotypes or stigmatisation.
At the moment the four page guide is available in English and Italian but will also be translated into Romanes, Sinto, Bulgarian, Romanian, Spanish, German and other languages.
This guide was composed because we believe that the media play a significant role in the stigmatisation of the Roma minority across Europe. The media may be an important factor in fuelling the witch-hunting against the 14 million people minority, but can also be a significant ally in the fight against discrimination and prejudices.
Most of the time, journalists seem unaware or unconcerned of the consequences of their daily work. Journalist’s language can be crucial in the cultivation of prejudice, xenophobia and even incitement to ethnic hatred.
Many journalists lack Roma sources of information and have very limited contact with Roma communities. Several prefer the “safe approach” and choose to interview non-Roma experts – politicians and police officials – in talk-shows and news features about criminality within Roma communities.
The purpose of this guide is to give Roma organisations advice on how to deal with the media and journalists and reverse this negative trend, both at the local and national levels.
The time for action (and reaction) has come: Roma have to start being present in the media under a totally different light. This change predominantly has to come from the Roma community: being passive is no longer an option. The Romani struggle for equal rights and opportunities is gaining momentum and the Roma community has to take advantage of this situation. On the other hand, as a result of the economic crisis, there is an increasing amount of prejudices and hatred directed towards the Roma population. However when a crisis arises, the fight for more decent conditions has to rise to the occasion as well.
- 'Let your voice be heard' (English version): [PDF]
- 'Fate sentire la vostra voce' (Italian version): [PDF]
- 'Faites entendre votre voix' (French version): [PDF]
- 'At je vaš hlas slyšet!' (Czech version): [PDF]
- 'Te šunel pes tiro glaso'
(Romai version): [PDF]
