The most of hate speech found in online media of Lviv and Odessa - IMI research

Most of the news with hate speech was recorded in the online media of Lviv and Odessa, as compared to other regions of Ukraine, where the relevant study was conducted. 

These are the results of a study by the NGO "Institute of Mass Information", which was conducted in 10 regions of Ukraine in June this year *.

On average, news about national minorities or ethnic groups accounted for 0.6% of the total amount of news in regional online media. At the same time, in every seventh news item, or in 14% of publications, there were signs of hate speech about national minorities. 

According to the monitoring results, the online media that were covering the most frequently national minorities or ethnic groups were the these ones of Mykolayiv (1.7% of the total number of publications in the region), Odesa (1.6%) and Lviv (0.8%). At the same time, the most of cases of hate speech on this and other topics were recorded in the online media of Lviv (2.7% of the total number of publications in the region) and Odessa (1.6%). Donetsk and Cherkasy online media did not use hate speech during the analyzed period.

Most often, hate speech and discrimination have been related to gender and discrimination against members of the LGBT community (46% of the total number of publications with signs of hate speech and discrimination). Hate speech against ethnic groups and ethnic minorities accounted for 14% of the total number of publications with hate speech and discrimination. The third place was taken by cases of hate speech against members of socially vulnerable groups (7% of all publications with hate speech). At the same time, 30% of news items contained hate speech on other topics, including discrimination based on geography or age.

As for the main types of violations in news with hate speech, according to the monitoring, there were: negatively colored vocabulary / evaluation judgments as most frequent  (36% of publications from the total number of news with manifestations of hate speech and discrimination), inaccurate vocabulary / terms. news), mismatch between headline and text (5% of news) and lack of comments which keep balance (1% of total news with hate speech and discrimination). At the same time, 29% of news with signs of hate speech had, in particular, a sexist context, and also unjustifiably emphasized belonging to a certain group / nationality, etc.

* 9320 news have been analyzed within this study, including 87 news with signs of hate speech, 58 news about ethnic groups / ethnic minorities from 50 regional online media in 10 regions of Ukraine (Volyn, Dnipro, Donetsk (Mariupol), Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, Cherkasy). The monitoring included only news from the online media news feed: articles, journalistic investigations, analytics, blogs, author's columns, announcements, etc. should not be analyzed. 

The monitoring methodology included an analysis of the amount of news on national minorities and ethnic groups, signs of hate speech in news on national minorities and ethnic groups, as well as an analysis of general issues of hate speech and discrimination in regional online media (ethnic groups / national minorities, gender) , LGBT), IDPs (internally displaced persons), the war with Russia, religious views, etc.), as well as types of violations in such news (inaccurate vocabulary / terminology, evaluative judgments / negatively colored vocabulary, mismatch between headline and text, no comment that keep balance, other).

Monitoring was conducted in the following media :

VOLYN (Volyn News, VolynPost, Volyn24, Rayon.in.ua, Konkurent); DNIPRO (Vidkrytyy, NAshe misto, Dnieper panorama, Informator, gorod.dp.ua); DONETSK (Mariupol) (0629, Novyny Donbassu, Karachun (Slavyansk), Ostrov, MRPL.CITY); LVIV (Lvivsky portal, Zakhid.net, Vgolos, Varta1, Tvoye misto); MYKOLAIV (Prestupnosti.net, Moy horod, Novosti N, Inshe.TV, 0512); ODESSA (Dumskaya, 048, Odesskaya zhyzn, USI. Odessa, Odessa online); POLTAVA (Poltavshchyna, poltavske.tv, OKIA Novyny Poltavshchyny, 0532.ua, Zmist); KHARKIV (ATN, Status Quo, Horod X, KHARKIV Today, 057.ua); KHERSON (KhersonOnline, 0552, Lubimyy Kherson, Khersonshchyna za den, Khersontsi); CHERKASY (Vycherpno, 18000, Procherk, Zmi.ck.ua, Provse).