How to respond to hate speech and fake news at the local level in Slovakia
How to respond to hate speech and fake news at the local level in Slovakia

Summary/Abstract: As new media continue to shape the digital information space, the occurrence of disinformation, hate speech, and fake news is evolving rapidly. These issues arise as a consequence of information overload and information disorder catalysed by digital transformation. This phenomenon is recognised globally as a significant challenge for public institutions, democracy, and public policy. In generally we address disinformation with two approaches: hard and soft response activities and tools. Both approaches are complementary to each other and together create a multi-response approach to disinformation. This study aims to examine the viability of the hard response approach alone. This approach typically serves as a reactive measure by targeting the source or the creator of disinformation. We explored the dimensions of hate speech, fake news and disinformation, highlighting the growing pressures that necessitate a multi-response approach. A survey was conducted in 2023 to investigate fake news and hate speech, with a particular focus on the perceived viability of response activities and tools among local politicians and communal practitioners in Slovakia. The primary result of this research lies in enhancing the ongoing discourse about the multi-response approach, emphasising the significance of hard response activities and tools, supported by both theoretical desk research and empirical evidence. A further benefit of the study is that it confirmed the feasibility and success of the examined hard responses. These differ for disinformation, as well as for fake news and hate speech.

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