A seminar on the portrayal of Roma in the media was held on 13 November 2024 in Rome, as part of a series of national seminars aimed at combatting stereotypes in the media, fostering cooperation with media representatives, and fighting anti-gypsyism in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy. Organised under the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Programme “Equality and Freedom from Discrimination for Roma” (EQUIROM) and hosted by Stampa Romana, the event gathered media representatives, Roma and pro-Roma NGOs, and key stakeholders from governmental institutions to discuss ways to improve the portrayal of Roma people in Italian media.

The seminar, which has been accredited at the Order of Journalists in Rome, was an opportunity to present the findings of a study which analyses the portrayal of Roma in television broadcasting across Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, and Romania. Additionally, it addressed a forthcoming study on the representation of Roma in the written press in the same countries.

Seminar’s speakers, including Eleni Tsetsekou, Head of the Council of Europe's Roma and Travellers Division, Stefano Ferrante, Stampa Romana, Valerio Maione, co-author of the study on Portrayal of Roma in TV Broadcasting, Antonello Paolo Perillo, RAI-Italian Broadcasting Service, Roberto Bortone, UNAR - National Office Against Discrimination, Rosa Cavallaro, AGCOM – Communications Regulatory Authority, and journalists from major newspapers (Corriere del Mezzogiorno/Corriere della Sera) and trade unions, representatives from UNHCR, Schools of Journalism and NGOs, such as Carta di Roma and Associazione Romni, discussed how to ensure the use of an inclusive and non-discriminatory language as well as combat racial and ethnic stereotypes in Italian media.

The seminar provided a crucial platform for dialogue, marking the beginning of a cooperation to improve the portrayal of Roma in the Italian media landscape. During the sessions, participants discussed the role of the media and how it should actively encourage dialogue between different groups while positively representing the various voices within the Roma community, as well as their history and culture.

As series of recommendations were elaborated and will be soon available at EQUIROM webite.

As Stefano Ferrante, Secretary of Stampa Romana, said: ‘‘We do not often talk about antigypsyism, and discussions about combating stereotypes frequently overlook the Roma community. In this context, promoting human rights education and a language of non-discrimination among journalists is essential.’’

Additionally, the seminar provided a platform to present the HELP course on Discrimination against Roma, which aims to raise awareness among media professionals about ethical reporting and combating discrimination. If you wish to follow the course in Italian language, please request the connection links by contacting [email protected] 

For more information on the CoE-EU EQUIROM project and upcoming activities, please visit www.coe.int/equirom