Brief Outline:
The idea for my feature article is to highlight the influenced social commentary of East Europeans in the public eye (in particularly Bosnians and Serbians) as a result of lack of knowledge of past events such as the Yugoslavian war. This exposure has a vast impact on the way in which East-Europeans, including myself are perceived and treated in society.
My feature article will include personal experiences that will assist in projecting the message. As my mother works as an interpreter she comes into contact with those who suffer the same problem, many of which she has fulfilled a relationship with. I will use these as potential interviewees to further enhance the argument.
Other potential interviewees could be Doctors or Psychologists in which my mother has interpreted for. Although they cannot disclose personal information about clients – I could receive a general overview of their understanding of the topic as a result of the Yugoslavian war and the common post-traumatic stresses that occur regularly. Possible questions: * Is it common for social backlash to affect those suffering post-traumatic stress from events such as this? * If so, how does one cope with this sort of derogatory commentary on top of their own personal issues?
Possible research sources:

Personal research: As a result of lack of knowledge on the Yugoslavian war I have experienced verbal and physical attacks based on my ethnicity. These attacks occurred when I was in high school at the age of 14. I was competing in Women’s League Soccer. I had scored the winning goal for the league resulting in my team winning the overall championship. During celebrations I was approached by a player from the opposing team in which she attacked me from the back and pursued to punch me numerous times. The verbal comments she was making were along the lines of ‘You dirty Bosnian gypsy,’ ‘Muslims are garbage,’ and ‘Your country deserved to rot into pieces.’ This was followed by a spit on the face in which her parents were standing alongside her without a flinch.
(I do not intend to go into full detail with the experience, but more so a general overview that will provide the readers with an understanding of inappropriate and inaccurate use of racist commentary).

My intention is to connect the readers with this strong personal experience, then tie it down with others who have been involved in similar situations. I will then connect all of this with actual social commentary that is based not only on the internet (such as Facebook, Twitter etc.) but also through published articles that provide an uneducated reading of the events that occurred in Yugoslavia during the war as well as the intended perception that readers could possibly feel of East-Europeans once they have completed the reading.

Current Research:
I am collating up to three published articles that express the need to belittle East-Europeans involved in the Yugoslavian war. These will provide the reader with a clearer understanding of how the media has a vigorous impact on how people perceive East-Europeans and in particularly Muslims.
I will also include extracts/posts from social media accounts that have used such derogatory language as a result of uneducated exposure of past events in the public eye.