Media as Scare-Mongering

This article examines how the media in Central and Eastern Europe have failed in most cases to offer balanced stories on the migration topic, instead preferring anecdotal reporting and simplistic clips from Western media, instead of solid background on the history of Roma communities or robust surveys on migration trends.

The author argues that, despite some exceptional cases of good, neutral reporting, mass media in the new EU member States in Central Europe—and candidate countries in Eastern Europe—suffer from provincialism and a lack of professionalism, particularly in the coverage of migration issues.