Humanitarian discourse as racism disclaimer: The representation of Roma in Swedish press

In: Journal of language and politics

Abstract

Abstract
Roma communities remain Europe's most marginalized and disadvantaged population, facing increasing discrimination,
especially after the 2015 refugee crisis. European media often portrays them as criminals or anti-social, furthering
misunderstanding and social exclusion. This article examines Swedish news media's representation of Roma, which, at a surface
level, appears much less negative. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, we analyze two Swedish newspapers' coverage of
the controversial law which sought to criminalize begging, which targeted Eastern European Roma migrants. Our findings reveal that
'Swedish exceptionalism'–a discourse of human rights, equality, colorblindness, characterized by limited racial literacy–serves to
obscure and act as a disclaimer for anti-Roma sentiment and government actions which in fact resemble those criticized in other EU
countries.