"Words influence how people perceive things." - seminars at the Faculty of Social Sciences fight for fair media
How we write about foreigners matters. Media stereotyping fuels frequent negative attitudes toward them. This is why a series of seminars was launched this school year, where future journalists learn more about the reality of migration policy and the lives of individual minorities in our country. All of this is under the auspices of the "We Are Not Strangers" project, which aims to break down barriers and bring the world of foreigners closer to the wider public through objective information.
How did it all begin? The course guarantor, Dr. Jana Čeňková, looks back at the start of the collaboration between the faculty and Slovo 21. "A productive, mutual cooperation between teachers and alumni is developing at the faculty. Our alumnus Tomáš Bystrý, together with the director of Slovo 21, Jelena Silajdžić, approached me to ask if I would open a course on Romani culture." The course "Critical Reflection on Romani Culture" was met with great interest, much like the course running this year, which aims to shed light on the lives of various minorities in our country.
"I am certainly satisfied, and the course even exceeded my expectations. This happened in two areas: first, the guests from all communities (Vietnamese, Arab, Ukrainian) and migration experts were very forthcoming and prepared to face the many questions and discussions that opened up during their presentations. And second, the activity of the students, who asked targeted questions; expert Kateřina Kopečná remarked that she had never lectured to such a prepared and aware audience," Čeňková adds in her overall assessment of the course.
The "We Are Not Strangers" project has long supported the integration of foreigners in the Czech Republic. The effort to bring minorities closer to the majority and debunk stereotypes is at the heart of the many activities that fall under it. The seminars are another step in the fight against prejudice and its spread in the media. The program of six meetings is filled with lectures by various guests who introduce students to the realities of migration policy or, as representatives of minorities, open up questions about their own identity.
"I find it very important because I think that different expressions and words can greatly influence people's perceptions. I notice this in articles about migration, foreigners, or, for example, Muslims specifically, which often just fuel fear of the unknown, even though they could leave the labels out entirely," one of the participants adds, sharing their own perspective on the issue.
To what extent the seminars can truly play a role in this regard remains a question. However, the students' perspective suggests they can be an impulse that makes them think about the topic more often: "I think they can. Not a decisive one—in the end, it will always be about us and how conscientious we are—but I would say that I will definitely remember the seminars when writing a text, and at the very least, it will prompt me to perceive minorities as a group of real people of flesh and blood who may differ in some ways, but with whom we have a lot in common."
In their course evaluations, students focus primarily on the individual guests whose lectures particularly interested them. Standing out among them is the Syrian writer and musician Marwan Alsolaiman, who read his texts during the seminar and also performed some of his songs. Representatives of the Vietnamese community also received a positive response, as did activist Yara Abu Ataya, whose work many students were already familiar with and appreciated the opportunity to discuss together.
"Overall, I liked the seminars where someone first gave us a short factual presentation and then the representatives talked about their personal stories. Because for journalists, it is crucial to really get to know those people and empathize with them—but at the same time, you need to have knowledge and data," one student adds regarding the benefits of this lecture format.
The course thus connected pressing topics with the opportunity to debate them together. The series of guests provided insight into the everyday reality of foreigners living alongside us. Čeňková summarizes the significance these unique meetings have for everyone involved: "Students from some minorities, especially the Ukrainian community, also participate in the course, and their participation is a great contribution. A number of pieces are being created that will resonate in the future and contribute to a certain removal of the stereotyping of minorities in our country. It won't disappear completely, which is why it is mutually important to keep working in this field."
This article was created as part of the "We Are Not Strangers" project, which is co-financed by the European Union.
