During the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech Week, five media professionals earned Journalism Excellence Awards for their work on “Ethical Media Reporting on Roma and Combating Racism and Antigypsyism through the Media.”
Organised under the EU-CoE Joint Programme EQUIROM (Equality and Freedom from Discrimination for Roma), the awards ceremony at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg gathered prominent participants and representatives from Council of Europe Member States to celebrate quality, bias-free journalism that promotes a positive image of Roma.
On behalf of the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Ms. Erika Leonaitė, Parliamentary Ombudsperson of Lithuania, opened the ceremony, followed by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty.
Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Ms. Věra Jourová, thanked the winning journalists and media representatives in a video message: “Searching for the truth and trying to tell the untold stories, to strive to give a voice to those who would not have it without you.”
The winners include:
Photojournalism Award - Achilleas Chiras (Greece)
Investigative Journalism Award - Rodothea Seralidou (Germany)
Global event Award - Anna Alboth (Poland)
Interview Award - Gilda-Nancy Horvath (Austria)
Young Journalists Award - Yana Radchenko (Ukraine)
The five awards came with prize money totalling 10,000 euros. During the ceremony, the winners also received diplomas from Ms. Eleni Tsetsekou, Head of the Council of Europe’s Roma and Travellers Division, Mr. Efthymios Tziokas, Counsellor from the EU Delegation to the Council of Europe, and the Commissioner for Human Rights.
“The winners of the Journalism Excellence Awards exemplify the power of the media in combating antigypsyism and defending the human rights of Roma,” said Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty. “The media is a key ally in defending the human rights of Roma and in combatting discrimination, hostility, hatred and antigypsyism.”
While not all winners could attend the ceremony, all of them recorded a video message presenting their work. Greek photojournalist Achilleas Chiras said in his video message: "As a photojournalist, it is my duty to capture moments that tell important stories and to advocate for justice and equality through my work.”
Austrian journalist Gilda-Nancy Horvath shared in her video message: “This recognition is not just a testament to my work but also to the incredible individuals who shared their stories with me, offering a glimpse into their lives, their struggles and their triumphs. And this very much reflects the way I do my work. I see a responsibility in amplifying the voices of those unheard. Giving a visible space to those unseen”.
German investigative reporter Rodothea Seralidou added: “The name of my work is Roma in Greece - a life on the margins of society. I wanted that the local Roma speak for themselves, I wanted to give a voice to the people who are invisible”.
The Journalism Excellence Awards honour ethical reporting that objectively addresses human rights and dignity, racism and antigypsyism issues, investigative journalism, raising awareness about the history and culture of Roma, and contributing to building positive narratives about Roma by journalists and other media representatives. Such reporting makes for positive changes in people’s perception of Roma communities.
