The Council of Europe has honoured five journalists at the third edition of its Journalism Excellence awards for ethical reporting on Roma and Travellers and combating Antigypsyism through the media.
The awards recognise outstanding journalism that challenges prejudice and discrimination against Roma and Travellers while highlighting their experiences, histories and contributions to society.
Reporting on Roma and Travellers: award winners
Investigative Journalism award
Adam Charlton for “Is this the last ‘acceptable’ form of racism?”. The piece exposes the discrimination faced by Roma communities in the United Kingdom and the structural barriers they continue to encounter in everyday life.
Best Interview award
Jana Baudysova for “The Congress in London united Roma around the world, recalls its artistic director, journalist, manager and activist Tore-Jarl Bielenberg”, documenting the creation and significance of the First World Romani Congress.
Roma history and Holocaust remembrance award
Given the exceptional quality and public value of the submissions, the jury awards two prizes in this category:
Paula Szewczyk for “We dressed up so as not to look like Roma. When the Germans saw a skirt, they shot immediately”, which sheds light on the persecution and extermination of Polish Roma during the Nazi era and the continuing lack of recognition of these crimes.
Visnja Visnjic Milic for “Porajmos – The suffering of the Roma in World War II”, documenting the persecution and genocide of Roma in occupied Serbia and calling for stronger public awareness and remembrance of the Roma Holocaust.
Young Journalist award
Eftychia Soufleri for the documentary “Roma on TikTok: how their life went viral”, which explores the visibility of Roma communities on TikTok in Greece and the broader questions of representation and digital participation.
Fostering understanding, fighting hate
At a ceremony held at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset and Frédéric Fautrier, Director General of Monaco’s Department of the Interior, representing the Committee of Ministers’ Presidency of Monaco, presented the awards on the margins of No Hate Speech week 2026 and the second edition of the Hack the Hate, Renew Democracy Hackathon. During the ceremony, Secretary General Berset said:
“Today's award recipients restore complexity where others see only stereotypes. They make racism and antigypsyism impossible to ignore. And through them, we hear Roma and Travellers in their own words – and see more clearly their rightful place in Europe's common story.”
The initiative forms part of the Council of Europe Strategy for Roma and Traveller inclusion (2026–30), which stresses the important role of the media in combating Antigypsyism and promoting equality, human dignity and social inclusion.
