ABSTRACT
Inter-ethnic tensions emerged in many post-communist countries as a “new” issue after the collapse of the communist systems. Most people believe that with the collapse of the communist system in 1989, the media had become strongholds of democracy and cultural pluralism. The media started to report about “minorities”, and about the emergence of new non-governmental organizations. This chapter addresses the evolution of ethnic tensions in the aftermath of the 1989 breakdown of the communist system in Romania. It focuses on the role of the communication system and the actors within that system with respect to ethnic relationships. Responses from the society were carefully screened and selectively reproduced using the same hierarchy of media coverage. The system of complacency and unilateral communication experienced a major shock when the communist system collapsed and plural media input entered the Romanian scene. On the stage of the media arena, many actors assumed the role of moderators or mediators.
