How Do Mainstream Media Portray Roma People?

Our modern society surrounds itself today with the media. One may think the media only broadcasts through the television, but there are many sources such as the newspaper, social medias, apps, cell phones etc. Technology is the way of the world now, and how we as humans rely on getting our most up to date information. The media has a vast influence on the ways minorities are viewed by our culture. The media sets the tone for the morals, values, and images for society. Minority groups are defined as “a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group”(Schaefer, 2008, p. 7).

‘Media discourse is the main source of people’s knowledge, attitudes and ideologies and although media coverage might not generate racism, it can certainly reinforce it. One-sided portrayals and news articles could easily become the reality in the minds of the audience’ (Van Dijk, 2000, pp. 36).

The Romani have been portrayed in a negative manner in a number of films in the 20th century. Most of these films contain a number of stereotypes about about the Roma which fuels discrimination and fear of the Roma people. These stereotypes can be seen in mysticism, music and clothing. They are seen as evil conniving and frightening in films using magic and sorcery to hurt others. Or they are looked at as mysterious and intriguing. Certain films cast the Roma in a certain light, so the films in the early 20th century were much more stereotypical than more recent films. However there are exceptions to this general observation. Films such as Cry of the Werewolf and Thinner are much more stereotypical than Time of the Gypsies and The Crazy Stranger.

Muslim portray on media has become worse and worse since the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in America; “Since 9/11, negative messages about Muslims have received more media attention than positive ones”. This mass media connection (acculturation) is the most replied on the gain opinions and knowledge of other cultures and religions. The article; ‘Negative Portrayals of Muslims Get More Media Attention’ tells viewers the statistics and reasons behind this negative portrayal. It relates to the course concepts through harbouring each and every concept to clarify their view on media portrayal.

The Romani People commonly known as Roma, Gypsies or Travelers account for around 11 million people scattered across Europe today, mostly in the Eastern European states. They have been persecuted and discriminated against due to large cultural differences since their arrival to Europe. The post-1989 transition from communism in Eastern Europe created a huge ethnic underclass of Roma who by many measures such as political, social, and economic, have the lowest status of any ethnic group in Eastern Europe. This has led to large socioeconomic gaps between Roma and non-Roma people. Europe is finally starting to realize what a large problem this gap is causing and certain agencies and governments of states where there is a larger population of Roma have begun to take action to better integrate the Roma people into society. These initiatives are striving to increase employment, education, welfare and other aspects of life for the Roma people and to break the destructive cycle of poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and loss of hope that has set in for many East European Roma.

When commercial television is discussing and prevailing such dominant discourses about ideas of marriage, terrorism, socio economic statuses, mental health, politics and other cultures, it has the ability to disempower difference through only explaining these issues from one view point of view or a singular representation. This constant widespread negative coverage of minorities or other cultures can misguide Australian attitudes and viewpoints, to further reaffirm certain prejudices or biases by only being exposed to the negative actions of a group (Jacobs & Kershen 2011). This Symbolic violence can describe minorities in a way that leaves them voiceless, ignored and condemned through media and the views of larger society (Venzo & Hess 2013). When ethnic minorities are shown in a prominent role on commercial television or a news segment, it is usually in relation to crime and disorder or from being a perceived social threat to the Australian culture or way of life (Phillips 2011). Although all broadcasting media need to follow protocols within their policies to avoid representing ethnic and religious communities in ways that are discriminatory within their practice, it is still conducted in a way that disempowers these communities and maintains the prejudices against them (Phillips 2011). An example of this is how

Representation is understood in relation to realism, which is the extent of which a media text is credible to its audience in terms of experiences, emotions and events as opposed to texts which are simply imaginary. In contemporary society, news programmes and documentaries are assumed to be realistic and reliable in terms of the sources of their information. However, it could be suggested that they convey a version of reality that is unsurprisingly selective and heavily biased towards the people who created them. This could be a reason for the creation of racial stereotypes within different news organisations. This essay will therefore discuss racial stereotypes which are present within the news and also to what extent news organisations perpetuate the notion of ‘us’ and ‘them’.

Gypsies are nomads (Leeson, 2013). The nomadic nature seems to be a central point of departure that defines the gypsy way of life. Although, the modern Roma people no longer travel in caravan and have blended in with the locals, the sense of independence through travel still is reflected in their way of life (Romanian Family Health Initiative, 2007), for example, many Roma men choose occupations that lets them travel and be on the road (Matras, 2000).

The former colonial powers of Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal all have in common attract a significant numbers of settlers from their former colonies due to work opportunities. This is less true of Portugal because its colonial rule ended more recently than the others and its economy was far less of an economic magnet. The movement of people through the colonial period is a permanent population change. Throughout time these movements of population constructs relations to the land and to the culture. Therefore, colonial powers construct their national identity through their relationship with their colonies. Despite the colonial past of Europe, different European countries have responded differently to the population changes. Minority communities have suffered from racism and inequality throughout the region. Part of EU policy mission is that ‘tolerance’ will triumph and ethnic conflict can be contained. In April 2007 the European Parliament voted to require all EU states to criminalize Holocaust denial by 2010, yet some have barely effective measures to prevent present-day ethnic minorities being discriminated against in daily life. The combination of Europe’s colonial past and the rising of ethnic minorities have triggered the far right movement across the region. Although Le Pen has lost the election to Macron, her campaign consisted of acting against dual nationality, hardening immigration policies, and immigrants and Muslims are the roots of terrorism. The nationalist movement in Europe has been evident through its policies to ensure an ‘equal’ community of ethnicities, for example the hijab ban. It is obvious that Europe is very sensitive towards minority communities, which has caused for inequalities and racism to spur throughout the

France is one of the counties most affected by the influx of refugees, legal, and illegal immigrants into their societies. Since the 1980s France has obtain the highest amount of immigrants in Europe, most coming from Africa, followed by Asia, and finally Europe (Hargreaves, 14). As tensions rise between the native and migrant population political parties, such as the National Front (FN), have centered themselves on this issue. They have helped develop the idea that these new Muslims immigrants cannot coexist in French society, and to an extent western society, because French and Muslim values are simply not compatible (Maxwell, Bleich, 162-163). Parties such as the FN also use immigrants as the cause of France’s current problems by utilizing the differences between the native population versus the immigrant population in order to highlight the “fundamental social order problem” that immigrants bring to France (Favell, 22-26). This tactic had the effect that at one point “public discussion of immigrants shifted from issues of race and ethnicity to religion” (Iacobucci, Toope,

In addition, perceived racism is the quintessence acting as another type of discrimination, especially in the Spanish population in 2006-2007 (Gil-Gonzales, 2014, para. 8). On the result of randomly asking the population of Spain, they were asked if they have been discriminated against and in what way, answers vary from “job seeking, workplace, accessing health care and in public spaces” (Gil-Gonzales, 2014, para. 9). Racism combined with other Discriminations had higher levels of racism from the Spanish Men and Women, than foreign Men and Women immigrating to Spain, comparing that 61.04% from Spanish Men and Women to 38.96% from foreign Men and Women, meaning those who judged them cannot see their personal lives, they only see the cover. In addition, to perceive racism, “statues fall, economic racism is not fading. African-American still earn just 60% of what whites earn” (Malveaux, 2017, para. 3). Meaning these statues are falling but this act may not represent anything if it is not making an effect of the issues involving the racism acting on minorities

In the end this document does take a unique approach in showing the extended reach and influence the media has in shaping the outlooks of citizens on the world and society wither the events illustrated directly affect the individual or not. The emphasis on how the media is creating a progressive dilemma through the portrayal of increasing numbers of immigrants into the nation and the threats this influx has on the cultural stability and longevity of the nation explains how the citizens of the nation, wither directly affected by immigration or not, move towards a more protectionist and nationalist state of mind in order to promote the conservation of the nation’s ethnic culture. The act of addressing the problems with public opinion when not provided with all of the facts, but only certain facts, does show its colors and makes for a strong topic to be discussed and addressed in further literature due to being only lightly addressed here. Being that the biggest problem with this paper is the fact that there was such a small and focused group of individuals polled, and no others, it would be best that future research into this matter should contain a broader range of data, while still focusing on the central topic of how perceived effects of immigration cause growth in nationalist and

There are over seven million people currently classified as Roma. Simply being Roma is not easy and many possible Roma have a self-identity problem. Being Europe’s largest minority many would believe the Gypsies would be treated in a good manner. That is not the case most countries do not even consider Roma to be an ethnicity. For this and many other reasons the Roma mistrust the authority. The mistrust is mutual and the Europeans have not felt the Roma fit in with the rest of Europe. Originally thinking the Gypsies were spies for Muslim countries during the crusades, Europeans never accepted them. For their own good the children of any Roma person were taken

The Roma culture, due to their nomadic life is disparaged by Europeans because they are seen as homeless and thieves. As an American-European who has lived in Portugal for 10 years, I have witnessed the hatred towards the Roma culture in person. The Roma culture, otherwise known as gypsies live in small “Casas de Lata” (Tin houses) in encampments next to neighborhoods. Their views and culture are mainly rejected by society in Europe for the fact that lifestyle, language, customs and behaviors are different. As one of the Hungarians stated in the video, fear is present whenever a gypsy is seen in the street. In Portugal, similar situations are presented, where I would be afraid to talk or even look at people from descendent of the Roma culture.

In order to understand the impact of multiculturalism in mainstream media, the panelists first describe who the