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43
Cases of discrimination in the media
68.
68.
Aviles.
The media.
Direct discrimination. The newspapers El Comercio and La Voz de Aviles ran a story in
which they mention the ethnic origin of a young man when, in our opinion, this information is irrelevant and only
serves to give a negative image of the Roma community, thus further entrenching prejudices and stereotypes
in the area of housing making it even harder for them to rent a flat or have access to other resources.
Following the publication of this story, many people used the newspaper’s forum to make unfounded and totally
uninhibited racist comments such as the following:
If I were to be born again, I want to be a Gypsy...to live off subsidies without doing a stitch of work, not
pay any taxes, do whatever I pleased, have kids and let the non-Gypsies feed them.
And the neighbours can count themselves lucky that he doesn’t put the pony in the flat and have to
squeeze by them on the stairway.
Not good, they don’t want to integrate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d be happy if the Gypsy left and the pony stayed.
With comments such as these, the press is tearing down the work and effort of many people and organisations
that are working very hard to eliminate myths and stereotypes about the Roma community and are fostering
negative attitudes among non-Roma.
69.
Huesca.
The media.
Direct discrimination.
A news item published in the Diario del Alto Aragón about an act
of violence in the summer of 2013 stated, and I quote: “Special mention should be made of the aggressiveness
of 30 or 40 people, most of them Gypsies, towards the local and national police forces.” “In the meantime the
Gypsy patriarchs, after meeting with the national police, decided to banish more than six people from Huesca,
including the bar owner, but they never followed through on their promise.”
The Department sent a letter of complaint to the newspaper for using language that identifies Roma with criminal
acts.
Use of this sort of language in news headlines only serves to perpetuate stereotypes and prejudices against
the Roma community.
70.
Huesca.
The media.
Direct discrimination.
The newspaper Diario del Alto Aragón published a complaint
lodged by a local resident following a recommendation made by the Aragon courts regarding homes on the
street called Ronda Isuela: “Many neighbours are subjected to intimidation by Gypsy families housed in the build-
ing of flats who do not respect even the most basic rules and do nothing to care for the building.”
The Department sent a letter of complaint to the newspaper for using language that identifies Roma with criminal
acts.
71.
Zaragoza.
The media.
Direct discrimination.
The newspaper Heraldo de Aragon ran a story under the fol-
lowing headline: “Norway may prohibit begging.” It then comments that the “Gypsy population would be the
hardest hit.”
The article describes how in the cities where begging is prohibited, the penalty could be a fine of up to three
months imprisonment.
The story then mentions a wave of pick pocketing and begging mostly by Romanian Roma.