Stereotypes protect us from fear of the ‘other’ and when the ‘other’ is closer, that they get stronger and possibly articulated more often. It is important not to mix the case of not having any stereotypes with being just politically correct. Stereotypes, deeply rooted in our minds and hearts, can surface when we do not expect them ourselves. It’s natural that stereotypes exist, and possibly they will always appear there where people are not curious enough of the other and want to stick to what they know.

The central question remains: does ‘boom in information’ help arouse curiosity or invoke fear of an invasion of things that we ‘are not’, thus and provoking added ‘identity searching’ behaviour?

Being cynical, one can underline the paradox that rests behind i.e. the media expresses the will to help clean up the mess that for a large part its helps to create. Every journalist knows that information presented in media has to be simple, as much as possible and adjusted to the perception of a mass.

Sometimes, sustaining a language of stereotypes can guarantee that the receiver will get the message. Not to mention that media are also created by people and more likely to be full of stereotypes. But why blame the media? Is it media’s responsibility to explain to Lisa that she goes to the same clothes-designer as the Armenian wife of a Kurdish guy? Is this information anything interesting and to whom? I mean, who cares? Will it increase the daily circulation or attract more viewers, when it is sensation that makes the news?

Fortunately, the global changes that ‘messed up’ and confused the reality of Lisa and the shop owners have opened some doors that were closed before. Technology and notion of ‘clash of civilizations’ enabled us to hear the voice of people that are actually curious about ‘the other’ and want to take advantage of learning and exchanging information.

There are specific kinds of media that aim to bring understanding between cultures. Most likely, such are the communication channels of people and organizations that are engaged in intercultural dialogue, being living examples of benefits from this dialogue. Technology and the access to knowledge certainly make such media competitive enough with the products of big, conventional information-owners (traditional media channels and their branches). But the very simple and rough question remains: ’who cares?’ Or in other words, how can you convince people that they should care to know more about ‘the other’, and give them the chance to realize that ‘the other’ is in fact ‘one of us’?

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