On 23 June, the European Roma Information Office (ERIO) organised a conference on the role of media in fighting hate speech and anti-Gypsyism. One of the outcomes of this conference was the decision to set up a European Roma Media Network.As the media play an important role in shaping the opinions and actions of European citizens, they are co-responsible for disseminating, reinforcing and reproducing negative stereotypes of Roma as a threat to our societies. As such, the media can serve as a catalyst for the incitement of racist discrimination, xenophobia and hate speech.
As was agreed during the conference, an important way to address the negative impact of the media on Roma inclusion would be the establishment of a media network which not only connects different stakeholders by allowing to exchange information and good practices across borders, but ultimately to inverse the negative role played by the media by responding to the negative portrayal of Roma, addressing the responsible authorities and informing European citizens about Roma.
Members of the network will include journalists and media experts. To find out more, please contact office@erionet.eu.