Ground-breaking new research report on the media and Gypsies and Travellers released
We know the media environment around Gypsy and Traveller people is harmful, discriminatory and racist. This in turn fuels the damaging policy, exclusion and prejudice the communities face to this day. The bigger question is why? And what can be done to move towards anti-racism and bold change in the UK’s media …writes Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange and London Gypsies and Travellers.
Launched today, Media That Moves is a report from Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, London Gypsies and Travellers, and research partner Public Interest Research Centre, that seeks to give some answers. You can read the summary of the report here and the full report here.
Based on 30 interviews with journalists, editors and activists and workshops with the Gypsy and Traveller community, the report examines the key role of the media in systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes, what the main influences on the media and their narratives are, and where they come from.
“Much of the UK media is failing Gypsies and Travellers. To create change, we need to tell stories that are rights-based and focuses on values and emotions while also building up new networks of power to tell Gypsy and Traveller stories that matter,” said Rachel Trafford, Leeds GATE Communications Coordinator.
“We’re very grateful to the people from within the media environment that were willing to talk with us for our research. This work seeks to show the potential for solidarity between reporters, journalists and the communities they report on, like Gypsy and Traveller people,” added Rachel Trafford.
“We need to connect with like-minded people to confront the problems and corporate strangle-hold of the 1% at the top of the media monopolies.
Media coverage has been used historically to feed deep and racist misconceptions about Gypsy and Traveller people.
Findings showed the toxic interplay between “moral panic” and simplistic “hero-victim-villain” story-telling, to feed the “Churnalism” business model of much of national media. The environment of the news room was found to be a major problem, with many participants sharing multiple instances of editors blocking change and fairer reporting on the community.
Drawing on other research, the report found on average one story per national newspaper every three days, without counting local news. Daily Express and Daily Mail alone counted for more than half of the stories published. Rather than struggling only with lack of wider representation, this is a crisis of misrepresentation. The current patterns of thought and influence need to be broken, with wide systemic change needed to bring about a reframing of stories about Gypsy and Traveller people in the UK.
Leeds GATE and London Gypsies and Travellers are both organisations that work in partnership with the communities in West Yorkshire and London, and with staff who also identify as Gypsy and Traveller. Involving Gypsy and Traveller people from across the country, as well as both regional and national media was vital, to show this is an endemic nationwide problem needing nationwide attention.
“Much of the UK media is failing Gypsies and Travellers. To create change, we need to tell stories that are rights-based and focuses on values and emotions while also building up new networks of power to tell Gypsy and Traveller stories that matter,” said Rachel Trafford, Leeds GATE Communications Coordinator.
“We’re very grateful to the people from within the media environment that were willing to talk with us for our research. This work seeks to show the potential for solidarity between reporters, journalists and the communities they report on, like Gypsy and Traveller people,” added Rachel Trafford.
“We need to connect with like-minded people to confront the problems and corporate strangle-hold of the 1% at the top of the media monopolies.”
“The Media that Moves project is one of the best things we have been involved in,” said Mena Mongan, Community Engagement Officer at London Gypsies and Travellers.
“It gives us the strength to go forward on the right road to tackle the negative news that journalists publish about us every day.”
“We hope this research contributes to the wider awareness of prejudice and racism perpetuated by media in our society, leads to more news outlets examining and improving their practices, and also gives Gypsies and Travellers and allies some practical tools to make positive and long-lasting change,” added Ilinca Diaconescu, Policy and Campaigns Coordinator at London Gypsies and Travellers.
“This report is just the beginning. Our aim is for Media That Moves research findings to become the backbone for multiple projects and areas of much-needed change within the media for Gypsy and Traveller people. We must start to tell a new story.”
London Gypsies and Travellers and Leeds GATE press release/ TT News
(Lead picture (c) Leeds GATE)