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Research on a Hate Speech in Kosovo Media 2019-2020

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Research on a Hate Speech in Kosovo Media 2019-2020 Views and interpretations expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kosovo. This Research Report was prepared under the “Combat Hate in Kosovo” Project, implemented by ATRC in partnership with RADC and supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kosovo Author: Valon Junuzi Researchers: Mimozë Veliu and Tringë Sokoli Pristina, 2021 2 Introduction This Research Report on the use of hate the research data, main trends per category, speech in the Kosovan media is published and the correlation between the variables. by ATRC in partnership with RADC, with the This is the crucial part of the research findings. support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in The fourth section provides an overview of the Kosovo, under the “Combat Hate in Kosovo” main linguistic characteristics used in media Project under the MATRA Program. The pur- discourse in Kosovo, and an interpretation of pose of this research is to take record of the the findings from the previous section. The use of hate speech on ethnic, gender, racial, fifth section provides recommendations with religious, and other grounds in public and to reference to international findings and good combat this phenomenon which incites hate practices. acts or crimes. Through this research activity, ATRC and RADC have created a database This research does not aim to reach final con- and subsequently compiled this report which clusions on the use of hate speech in the Koso- will serve to inform the public, promote a more van media, nor does it aim to make the data effective institutional response to hate related published in this Report universally applicable cases, and develop local resources to address outside the given time frame and context. it effectively. Rather, the purpose of this research is to pro- mote public research and discussion on this This report is based on textual and audiovisual topic, which is generally perfunctory in Koso- media research for the period January-June vo. Through this Report we aim to promote a 2019, and January-June 2020. In the second healthy public debate on ethics and profes- half of 2021, under the same project, ATRC sional principles in the Kosovan media when and RADC aim to conduct further research reporting on discriminated and easily vulner- and publish related results on a second report, able groups and communities. Recognizing covering the period June-December 2019, the irreplaceable role that the media have not and June-December 2020. Data collection only in reporting the events that make up our and classification was carried out from 1 Oc- collective and public life, but most important- tober 2019 through 15 November 2019. The ly, in shaping public attitudes towards social data presented in the present Report is based phenomena, this Report attempts to pave the on the main database, which is the intellectual way for further research, which would put the property of ATRC. spotlight on this role of the media in post-con- flict societies and societies in transition (not The Report follows the structure of similar only economically, but also in terms of values) research reports, where it begins by providing such as Kosovo. the necessary information on the used defi- nitions, sample selection, and data collection and classification. The second section focus- es on the legal framework in Kosovo and the world governing the prohibition and sanction- ing of hate speech in public discourse. This section provides a comparative perspective between the countries under examination, and good practices that can serve as a model for Kosovo. The third section exclusively presents 3 Introduction 2 Executive Summary 4 Basic Definitions, Methodology Used, Overview of Hate Speech Presence in 1. and Selection of Media for Analysis 6 3.1 Selected Media 24 Dominant Trends by Community and Chosen Definition and Key Elements of 3.2 Relationship Between Relevant Vari- 1.1 Hate Speech 6 ables 32 Content Analysis and 1.2 Analysis Units 9 Putting Findings in Context and Giving 4. Them Meaning 39 Media Selection, Data Collection, and 1.3 Classification of Findings 13 Key Characteristics of Problematic Comparative Aspects between Appli- 4.1 Language by Selected Categories 40 2. cable Standards in Kosovo and Globally 17 Analysis of Used Discourse and Identifi- National Legal Framework Against 4.2 cation of Problematic Language 2.1 Incitement to Hatred and Ethical Stan- Structures 44 dards Applicable in Kosovo 18 Key Research Findings and Identifica- RECOMMENDATIONS 48 3. tion of Representative Trends for 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY 49 Target Communities 23 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Report on ‘Research on Hate Speech in Koso- cles) and 201 audiovisual materials (TV shows) vo Media 2019/2020 I’ is the first empirical have been analyzed and transferred to the research on the presence of hate speech in main database. Kosovo media. As such, the report represents a significant step in monitoring the media coverage of events related to communities in Kosovo which are most exposed to vulnerabil- At the aggregate level, findings show that in ity and verbal discrimination. The aim of the the period covered, 12.05% of online articles report is to provide scientific based evidence and 9.30% of analyzed TV shows use hate on the use of hate speech in Kosovo media speech against target communities or cite im- and consequently exposes ways through which properly persons or authorities that use hate ethnic communities, LGBTIQ and migrants speech against a particular group. It is worth are ‘othered’ in Kosovo’s media. To this end, noting that in the online articles the dominant the report delves into a critical examination of frame used in the hate speech is that which media coverage of these communities, by de- depicts the ‘other’ as a violent, and a threat- constructing language used to portray these ening element in the society. This is followed by communities or actions inferred in the use of a offensive reporting towards the traditions and particular discriminatory language. lifestyle of the communities, and to lesser ex- tent by frames that explicitly or implicitly incite violence or call for murder of target communi- ties. On the other hand, the dominant frames On the methodological level, the report relied in the TV shows with hate speech content use on the qualitative method of content analysis offensive and negative representation, fol- to enable the researcher identify dominant lowed by prejudicial and essentialist language, frames used to portray target communities, and violent representation of target communi- and semantic relations which construct the ties. otherness of these groups in relation to the rest of the society. This method is applied in textual analyses of 10 online media articles, and linguistic analysis of 6 TV channels. The At the group level, results show that in both report has used objective criteria to determine online articles and TV shows, com-munities which media is included in the research, and to (namely Roma, Ashkali and Egyp-tians) are increase as much as possible the generaliza- mostly targeted with hate speech, followed tion of the findings. In order to engage in com- closely by Serbs, and to a lesser ex-tent by parative analysis of trends, the examination of migrants and LGBTIQ community. More articles and shows in these media outlets was specifically, media tends to portray com- conducted in two six-month periods, 1 January munities Roma, Ashkali and Egyp-tians as 2019 - 30 June 2019, and 1 January 2020 aggressors (against their own members), - 30 June 2020. The research applied total sexual predators, and their culture is population sample, and simple random sam- associated with lack of hygiene and re- ple to choose articles for textual analysis and sponsibility. Regarding LGBTIQ, the dominant criterion sample for linguistic analysis of TV reporting frames are those targeting mem- shows. In total, 2,512 textual materials (arti- bers of this community as deviant, nationally incompatible, and dangerous. The reporting in this category portrays LGBTIQ persons as focuses on codes of ethics adopted in dem- offenders of the ‘laws of nature/God’ with ocratic countries, and on successful media emphasis on their ‘abnormal’ inclinations. For self-control mechanisms which guarantee fair immigrants/refugees, reports tend to present reporting on social phenomena, without un- them as aggressors, dangerous, and manip- dermining the editorial independence of the ulators. The framing approach that portrays media. The report also gives a list of recom- immigrants/refugees as dangerous in articles mendations for all relevant actors involved in attempts to depict them as factors of insta- public discourse which if implemented could bility in Kosovo and as elements of extremist sensibilize media and other actors about the movements in the Middle East. For Serbs, effects of hate speech in shaping people’s reports associate all Serbs with war crimes opinions and attitudes on particular communi- and atrocities, and highlight the incompatibility ties. between Albanians and Serbs, and portrayals as aggressors are predominant. The report also includes a section on success- ful international practices about mechanisms put in place for preventing the use and spread of hate speech in public discourse. The section 6 I. Basic Definitions, Methodology Used, and Selection of Media for Analysis 1. Basic Definitions, Methodology Used, and Selection of Media for Analysis 1.1 Chosen Definition and Key Elements of Hate Speech The term ‘hate speech’,
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