Hate speech is understood as all types of expression that incite, promote, spread or justify violence, hatred or discrimination against a person or group of persons, or that denigrates them, by reason of their real or attributed personal characteristics or status such as “race”,colour, language, religion, nationality, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Hate speech is unfortunately not rare in the Western Balkans, and given the complex context of the past and the history all the countries in the WB have in common hate speech is a serious threat to the social peace and equity.

Media play an important role in condemning hate speech and educating the public on why such narratives can lead to negative consequences.
When media fail to fulfill their role, it is easy for hate speech to flourish and even become more serious and turn into violence.

In this episode of YouthSquad we are delving into a crucial and timely topic for the Western Balkans region – ethnic-based hate speech.
This form of hatred has far-reaching consequences on individuals and societies, and it’s vital that we understand the role traditional and social media have. Joining us here is Anja, media monitor from Media diversity institute Western Balkans.