Hate Speech Media Monitoring Methodology
The research aims to identify various forms, sources and targets of hate speech in media and
public discourse.
The monitoring is based on the definition of hate speech indicated in the 1997 recommendation (#97) of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, underscoring that "the term "hate speech" shall be understood as covering all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin.”
Observing monitoring subjects aims at identifying hate speech motifs and messages, as well as analyzing the anti-liberal discourse. Monitoring topics are the following:
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Intolerance based on ethnic/religious/racial/linguistic/gender/sexuality and other identity traits;
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Typology of Xenophobic/homophobic/racial and other discriminatory messages;
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Sources;
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Targets;
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Terminology.
Media monitoring data analysis is being carried out through both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Selection of media monitoring subjects. Both traditional media outlets (TV, print, online outlets) and thematic social media (Facebook) pages have been selected as monitoring subjects.
Apart from the talk shows of leading TV channels in terms of rating, which have different editorial policies and represent the binaries of political polarization (Pro-governmental, oppositional), talk shows of anti-liberal and pro-Kremlin TV channels have also been selected for monitoring, most of which operate more actively on social media (Facebook).
The following subjects have been selected from the traditional media:
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Daily prime-time news bulletins and weekly analytical programs of 5 TV channels: "TV Imedi” (Imedi Live); "Mtavari Arkhi” (Ghamis Mtavari); "Obieqtivi” (Studia N8; Namdvili Ambebi); "Alt-Info” (Alt-Analytics); "Sezoni TV” (Summary of the Day with Nikoloz Mzahavandze).
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2 newspapers with Anti-liberal and anti-Western editorial policies: "Asaval-Dasavli” and "Alia.”
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2 online outlets: "Georgia and World” with pro-Kremlin editorial policy (www.geworld.ge) and its affiliate Split News (www.spnews.io/ge).
Monitoring of 130 Facebook pages has been carried out using Facebook’s analytics tool CrowdTangle.
