National media used incorrect terminology and harsh hate speech against refugees – research
100% of the national media in Ukraine that were subjected to the IMI and the IOM’s monitoring survey have been employing some incorrect terminology for different categories of migrants. At the same time, a number of media outlets used harsh hate speech against refugees.
These are the results of the study conducted by the Institute of Mass Media in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Migration Agency on the rhetoric that Ukrainian media had about migrants.
The results of the study showed that 3.6% of reports about migrants in the national media employed the hate speech.
The cases identified in the study were mostly mild forms of hate speech, which was associated with the use of incorrect terms "illegals", "illegal migrants" and, respectively, resorting to the objectification of migrants. It turned out that such incorrect terminology was used by all media without exception. Example:
- 24 illegal immigrants from Brazil detained in Lviv region / Korrespondent
- Ukrainian border guards detained illegal migrants – State Border Guard service / Gordon
- Illegals from Brazil were found in Lviv region / RBC-Ukraine
At the same time, in three publications (Obozrevatel, Politeka, UNIAN) researchers recorded harsh language of hostility towards refugees (unverified information about “pedophile refugees” based on social networks). Example:
- In Odessa, rebelled against the Afghans, photo: we have our own refugees/ Politeka
- They make obscene propositions to children: in Mukachevo, parents were warned about pedophile refugees. Photo and video / Obozrevatel
- One jaw has already been broken: in Transcarpathia parents were warned about pedophile refugees (photo, video) / UNIAN
Instead of constructive and objective data, they used negative emotional comments from unknown people from social networks without checking the accuracy of these data. The texts of such reports themselves violated ethical and journalistic standards.
In the regional media, 6.5% of all mentions of migrants had hate speech. As in the national media, it was mostly a mild form of hate speech, which was related to the incorrect use of the terms "illegals", "illegal migrants". However, the study found reports of harsh hate speech, based on the same information from social media as in the national media, with a fake news about "pedophile refugees."
Hate speech in the media was accompanied by a violation of the presumption of innocence.
The study was conducted in two waves: the first wave lasted from September 6 to 12, the second wave was from October 4 to10, 2021.
The following national media sites were monitored: Ukraine 24, Podrobnosti.Inter, Suspilne, 1 + 1 (TSN), Fakty.ICTV, Pershiy Nezalezhny, Channel 5, STB, Channel 24. Sites 11 online media: Obozrevatel, Gordon, Ukrayinska Pravda, Korrespondent, Pravda, Politeka, RBC-Ukraine, Censor, NV, UNIAN, Strana.
Regional media. Kharkiv: Simon (Objective Media Group), Status Quo, 057.ua, Channel 7, Vgorode);
Odessa: Channel 7, Pershiy Miskyy, Dumska, O48, Odessa. Online;
Dnipro: Dnipro TV, D1, Dnipro Panorama, Informator, gorod.dp.ua;
Zaporizhzhya: Municipal channel ZTV, 061.ua, AlexTV, RIA-M, Industrialka;
Ternopil: TV4, Ternopil1, 20 minutes / RIA +, Galas, 0352.ua;
Vinnytsia: Channel 33, MKP ITA “VITA”, Vinnytsia.info, Vezha, 20 minutes;
Sumy: AkademTV Sumy, 0542.ua - Sumy city website, RegionNews Sumy (regionews.sumy.ua), DEPO.UA - Sumy (sumy.depo.ua), Vidikon TV;
Lviv: TRK “Brody”, First Western, Zakhid.Net, Vgolos, 032.ua;
Chernivtsi: TVA, Chernivetski Promin, Chernivtsi TV Channel, Molodyy Bukovyniets, Poglyad;
Uzhhorod: Zakarpattia online, ProZakhid, Mukachevo.Net;
Lutsk: Volyn News, Volyn24, VolynPost;
Ivano-Frankivsk: Galka, Course, Versii.
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