COUNTERING HATE SPEECH IN THE MEDIA: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
COUNTERING HATE SPEECH IN THE MEDIA: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Summary/Abstract: Daily, explicit or implicit exposure to violence in the media fosters real-life violence, shaping attitudes, values, and behavior over time. This paper aims to highlight the existence and key drivers of hate speech, identify the most frequently targeted groups, and emphasize the urgent need for decisive action against all forms of discriminatory narratives and hate crimes before they become deeply rooted in society. The lack of preventive measures against hate speech and hate crimes creates fertile ground for undermining peace efforts and fueling new tensions and conflicts. The digitalization of media and the widespread use of social networks, often marked by diminished credibility and unclear legislative and ethical guidelines, have accelerated the spread of hate speech, fostering an environment of fear, division, and exclusion. In this context, efforts to create a safer digital space should be understood as a fundamental necessity rather than a privilege. Achieving tangible progress requires two key actions: the coordinated enhancement of media and user capacities to recognize hate speech and the legal and ethical regulation of the media space to prevent the dissemination of harmful content.

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