19. 01. 2006

TREATMENT OF ROMA IN MEDIA IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Gypsies or Roma are the first association at the very mention of the phrase ethnic minority. The former term is derogatory in most Indo-European languages (Gypsy, Gitan/Tsigane, Zigeuner, etc.). The latter term is relatively more recent and has to do with political correctness, although many people consider it to be a hypocritical euphemism to soothe an unclear conscience, or a surrogate for mending centuries of injustice inflicted on the most numerous ethnic community in Europe. Today, in the former Yugoslavia, the term “Gypsy” (Cigan) contains a pejorative note, often in the context of identifying an entire ethnic group as “Gypsies.” Whether as a result of political correctness or not, the term “Gypsy” or “Gypsies” prevails today, both in public and political discourse, as in the media. See the whole text: http://www.anem.org.yu/download/treatment.pdf