The media and the public perception of the Roma and the Sinti in Italy

Abstract

Although Italy is one of the countries with the lowest percentage of Roma and Sinti population, anti-gypsyism is higher than the European average. This is not due to demographic factors but to the inclusion policies adopted and the difficulties in social interaction between the Roma and the gadjo (non-Roma). De-segregation policies are needed. Meanwhile, anti-gypsyism has become “standardised”, meaning that it has been minced and widespread, becoming ever more pervasive and omnipresent. It has become socially acceptable and is now part of our system of values. In the “post-truth era”, Web and social media have been a crucial tool for the diversification and spreading of racist messages. The text also emphasizes the responsibility of media and politics, which continue to promote stereotypes about the Roma, strengthening the negative aspects and regarding them as a threat to the population. This attitude could be defined as a form of “organized ignorance”. Roma people are highly visible in public debate, but in fact they are always judged only on the basis of stereotypes and prejudice and never seen as individuals. No mention is ever made of the dynamic nature of the Roma’s identity or of the process of gradual transformation resulting from their secular interaction with majority society. Thinking of “the Roma” as objects and not individuals will only lead to their being trapped in the cage of an immutable culture. Here is the “paradox: we talk a lot about Roma and quite a lot of money is spent at the public level, but this does not seem to be sufficient to develop an appropriate policy that would provide opportunities for interaction and the possibility to get to know each other better. Contacts with Roma individuals are considered disreputable and the majority of people can happily do without.