Expert analysis/study on 'Marginalised groups and media in BiH' was presented on an online event/webinar on 17 June 2020.
The authors have presented the study, explained different aspects of media reporting on marginalised groups in BiH society, including national minorities, children, persons with a disability, members of LGBTQ+ community, migrants and many other groups that can be assigned to this category, and emphasised sensationalism and superficiality as the most common characteristics of media reporting on these categories. Through their research, the authors have come to the conclusion that the BiH media are mostly under the influence of the dominant social groups, and as such, do not meet the needs of members of minority and/or marginalised groups.
The other panellists, who were mostly both journalists and advocates for the rights of the above-mentioned marginalised groups, provided their comments and suggestions from the perspective of the communities they represent and/or are members of. Also, the panellists agreed with the authors' conclusion that the reporting on marginalised groups is often based only on covering certain dates and events, and not constant and regular as it is supposed to be, while also emphasising the importance of better accessibility and quality of media content. Hate speech, as something that is, unfortunately, often directed towards members of these categories, has been mentioned as an important aspect of this discussion.
Finally, it has been concluded that this is an important topic and that it is necessary to continue to work on these issues, not only by the media and various institutions, but also by the organisations that gather and represent the members of different marginalised groups.
This activity was organised within the framework of the Action ''Human rights reporting and the role of media in BiH – media freedom legal framework analysis'', that is funded by Sweden and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH.
