Published: 23 September 2011
Region: EU
The Council of Europe in Strasbourg is calling for media to step up and focus more attention on the plight of people and communities who are the victims of discrimination, poverty and social exclusion.
The Council’s Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services says media have a crucial role to play in protecting the most economically-disadvantaged people, particularly women who are in some countries “the poorer segment of the population with limited opportunities…The fight to eradicate poverty, in the way that is particularly affects women, should be a significant element of every anti-discrimination policy in a democratic society in order to achieve social cohesion.”
The statement from the Steering Committee puts particular emphasis on the role of journalists and media in this work saying, “The representation in the media is essential as it can draw public attention to the necessity for dialogue with isolated and marginalised groups and for the recognition of their contribution to economic growth and prosperity.”
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