Genealogies of Roma Othering: Media Representation, Securitization, and Conditional Inclusion in Slovenia

This article examines how two Slovenian outlets represent Roma in online news coverage during a period of heightened public attention. It takes a genealogical perspective to analyze how contemporary reporting rearticulates historically rooted forms of othering and positions Roma as political subjects, targets of securitization, recipients of humanitarian paternalism, or cultural Others. The study uses a qualitative case-study design, combining critical discourse analysis and thematic analysis of 59 news articles from MMC RTV SLO and 24ur.com published between 1 June and 15 October 2025. The analysis identifies three recurring representational frameworks: Roma as a threat, as victims, and as a cultural Other. These frameworks overlap and may help reproduce criminalization, paternalism, symbolic inequality, and conditional inclusion. Although some reports challenge collective blame, address structural inequality, or include Roma representatives, Roma voices generally enter public discourse defensively and are less often treated as authoritative sources. The findings suggest that coverage by the two portals does not merely reflect majority attitudes toward Roma but may also help reproduce them. Addressing the portals’ role in reproducing Roma marginalization through discourse requires more than balanced coverage; the findings point to the value of contextualized, participatory reporting that recognizes Roma as equal political subjects and producers of public knowledge.