Roma

Channel 4 Initiatives

per-ms — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:37:38 +0200

Programme Description:

Although Channel 4 -as a public service television station- is publicly owned it is entirely self funded. Its remit is to innovate and appeal to everyone – different cultures, nationalities, religious persuasions, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation, races and ages. Founded in the eighties to combat the monopoly of the BBC and ITV, Channel 4 commissions its programmes from over 300 production companies across the UK.

BBC Initiatives

per-ms — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:27:15 +0200

Programme Description:

The BBC is one of the world’s leading media organisations. Its mission is to enrich people’s lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain. They see their audiences as being at the heart of everything that they do. How to reflect and engage these audiences is a BBC priority. The BBC Diversity Centre is responsible for ensuring that the BBC is legally compliant with all antidiscrimination legislation, hard-wiring diversity into the DNA of the BBC through the Diversity Strategy which is comprised of 4 elements - employment, output, audiences, strategy and business planning. In 2006 an Editorial Executive of Diversity was hired to assist BBC Vision (responsible for BBC TV channels) with delivering authentic representation of the audiences they serve.

VRT Diversity Unit

per-ms — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:10:11 +0200

Programme Description:

In 2003 the VRT began extensive dialogue with ethnic minority communities in Flanders. The aim was to understand their point of view and incorporate this knowledge into the VRT Diversity Policy and Diversity Charter.

Visibility Campaign on Equal Opportunities for All (TV Spots)

per-ms — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:51:37 +0200

Programme Description:

During the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE and the production company C-Media created a partnership to make documentaries representing communities fighting discrimination in Finland.

Qualifying Roma for Professional Radio Journalism

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:37:42 +0200

Programme Description:

The initiative began to give young Roma journalists the skills to work in radio production and therefore be able to run a Roma Community Radio themselves. With skilled Roma journalists producing programmes, it became very difficult for public authorities to ignore the request for a Roma community radio station.

Roma Mainstream Media Internship Programme

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:25:32 +0200

Programme Description:

With the unemployment rate at over 80% for adult Roma’s and the drop out rate from secondary schools higher than in any other ethnic group, the need to stop the marginalisation of this minority is of great importance. The media have often reinforced this marginalisation by uninformed and unfavourable reporting of issues facing the Roma community.

Don’t stay away. React against Discrimination

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:42:39 +0200

Programme Description:

Although implemented by the Polish NGO Campaign against Homophobia, “Don’t stay away. React against Discrimination” project deals with all levels of discrimination against a wide range of social and ethnic groups.

Innovative Educational Strategies for Social Partners/EYEO 2007

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:32:34 +0200

Programme Description:

The 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All gave Lithuania an impetus to improve the national understanding of minority groups who face discrimination in Lithuanian society. Centre for Equality Advancement Project, IESSP: From April 2006 to December 2007 the CEA focused primarily on the broadcast of fifty-two topical chat shows, transmitted weekly on prime time television. The shows discussed and revealed the plight of varied sections of Lithuanian society that suffer from discrimination. A survey of audience reactions to the programmes was carried out with calls received from the general public. Each show was preceded and followed by television news’ segments, internet portal articles, and magazine editorials that shed more light on the topics discussed. The project’s success and its ability to create a national dialogue were also reliant upon a wide reaching media awareness campaign. Postcards and posters were produced and distributed containing specific branding that brought the CEA’s objectives into the public domain. Finally, CEA’s staff organised seminars, discussing diversity, throughout Lithuania with media professionals, students and decision makers in the private and public sectors. These seminars hoped to share information and equally to prepare the way for a new attitude and way of reporting issues of discrimination. The Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s EYEO Project: From September 2007 to January 2008 the OEOO worked with their partners Art2b to infiltrate the television sector and thus enhance understanding of discrimination issues. Seventeen social documentaries were shot and aired on prime time national television. The programmes introduced the most topical issues in different areas of discrimination, presenting life stories of those who face discrimination and comments and views of experts, human rights activists, decision makers, and the general public. Simultaneously, radio programmes and an awareness-raising campaign were launched to reach different age groups across a large percentage of the population of Lithuania. Television adverts (and outdoor posters with the same concept) were produced in which a black and white heart is seen beating on the screen, red text then appears naming groups at risk of discrimination. A voice over finally asked: “Are we really so different?”

Romeo and Juliet

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:16:45 +0200

Programme Description:

“Otechestven Front” (Fatherland Front) is a weekly prime time TV show that seeks to challenge prejudices or myths in Bulgarian society. For two episodes broadcast in June 2007 it was decided to use Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as an allegory to reveal current racial discrimination against the Roma community in Bulgaria. A real life scenario was used in which a young Roma man and a Bulgarian girl are in love, but the girl’s family refuses to accept the match because of her beau’s ethnic origins.

Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group

per-ms — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:02:28 +0200

Programme Description:

In 2000 it was revealed that statistical analyses had predicted that Leicester would be the first city in Europe to have a minority white population by 2020. This put Leicester in the media spotlight in a way it had never been before. In 2001, with the general elections coming up, the issue of race was beginning to rear its head. How the media covered the elections, particularly concerning race, needed to be carefully handled.