Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.23.2.05
Media Representation of Roma and Prejudice Toward Roma: Can One Television Show Promote Intergroup Tolerance?
Ajana Löw Stanić
orcid.org/0000-0001-8231-430X
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the difference in the
prejudice level toward Roma before, right after and
seventeen months since the broadcasting of a reality show in
which the winner was a Roma minority member, and to
determine whether the representation of Roma and the issue
of Roma discrimination in print media coincides with the
given changes. The research included a survey study,
conducted at three time points and a content analysis of 231
issues of print media, published during bimonthly periods
that preceded each survey. Consistent with the hypotheses,
right after the show, the level of both overt and subtle
prejudice was significantly lower than before the show. 17
months later, although still lower than before the show, the
prejudice level demonstrated an increasing trend. The
highest representation of Roma in print media was found
during and right after the show, with the lowest proportion of
negative articles, and highest representation of articles
concerning Roma discrimination. The results indicate that
only one television show could lead to significant reduction
of prejudice, through media contact with a member of a
minority and observation of a positive minority-majority
interaction, as well as through exposure to a media agenda
that promotes the social norms of intergroup tolerance.
Keywords
prejudice; parasocial contact hypothesis; agenda setting theory; social norms; prejudice reduction interventions
Hrčak ID:
125563
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2014.
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