Media as a tool against prejudice

More than one third of adults admit to being prejudiced against Travellers/Gypsies, with such prejudices being frequently reinforced by mainstream media. Before Savvy Chavvy, access to the technological skills and equipment to challenge this representation and express and reinforce a sense of community within traditional media was limited. However, in the form of a unique social networking site, the development of Savvy Chavvy gave young members of this often misrepresented and marginalised community the opportunity to take control of how they are perceived.

Traditionally creating audio and video had been a relatively expensive and complicated process and, crucially, distribution rested with mainstream media outlets. However, the advent of relatively inexpensive and easy to use digital video and audio hardware combined with online platforms such as YouTube and Current TV has created exciting possibilities for communities and individuals to represent themselves, set the agenda and challenge prejudices. For communities such as the Gypsy Roma Traveller community whose portrayal in mainstream media is frequently misinformed or prejudicial, this freedom is nothing short of groundbreaking.

It was suprising how comfortable the young people were with the digital camcorders, audio recorders and editing software and within half a day they were shooting, cutting and up-loading their own work. However, what was even more striking was the clear editorial voice the young people had, each showed a very strong idea of what they wanted to say about themselves, their lives and their community. The result was a series of films and audio work that was powerful, emotive and a real alternative to the portrayal of their community that exists in the mainstream.

The young people involved in the training and all those accessing savvychavvy.com have shown increased confidence, greater pride in their cultural identity and decreased feelings of isolation. Rather than passively using the web, Savvy Chavvy members now view web 2.0 technologies as tools for self and cultural expression and can access a network of like minded individuals to discuss issues of real significance to their lives.

Christy McAleese, Savvy Chavvy Project, Media For Development