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date: 09 February 2025

Romani Ethnic Media in Hungarylocked

Romani Ethnic Media in Hungarylocked

  • Konrad Bleyer-Simon, Konrad Bleyer-SimonEuropean University Institute, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom
  • Kata BenedekKata BenedekTheater Studies, Freie Universität Berlin
  • , and Tibor RaczTibor RaczRomani Studies Program, Central European University

Summary

Research has shown that the portrayal of ethnic communities in the media can benefit or harm the groups in question. Thus, to counter stereotypical depictions or just establish their own identity, the literature sees a role for ethnic communities to launch their own ethnic or minority media initiatives. While there has been scholarship about the media representation of the Roma in Hungary, media produced for and/or by Romani people have been under-researched.

Based on existing research and interviews, it can be established that there have been three main waves of Romani ethnic media in Hungary: first, the period of the pure ethnic press, secondly, a wave of professionalized media that involved non-Roma as managers and journalists, and finally, a new series of grassroots-level efforts to create popular media on the web. In the decades that have passed since the end of socialism, Hungary’s Romani people have had print media, a radio station, a cable television station, online outlets, and social media sites. Regardless of the promising nature of some of these Romani publications, there have been serious concerns about their sustainability. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Romani media relied on support from the government and private foundations; advertisers have proved unwilling to work with outlets associated with a marginalized ethnic group. The financial stability of Romani media has thus been dependent on conditions detached from actual audience interest; many outlets have encountered difficulties paying bills and salaries, while co-option by interest groups has been a looming threat. As of 2020, the only safe way to keep control over ethnic media has been to rely on voluntary, unpaid work.

Subjects

  • International/Global Communication
  • Race, Ethnicity, and Communication

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