News
Hate speech and ethnic divisions in an anti-Albanian campaign on social media
An anti-Albanian campaign was launched on social media following a post on Facebook from a suspicious closed account. In the Facebook post, the author, without giving further details, said that at the cash register in the “Kipper” market in Gjorce Petrov, a saleswoman refused to tell the prices of the products in the Macedonian language, …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights August: Ethnic and religious divisions, attacks against the media, journalists, and activists
During August, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we’ve witnessed hate fueled by ethnic and religious divisions, coupled with targeted attacks against the media, journalists, and activists. Ethnic hate in North Macedonia and Albania This month in North Macedonia, social media users called for the boycotting of …
TROLL OF THE MONTH: Media coverage of Imane Khelif
The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region. The Paris Olympic Games, albeit a moment to celebrate diversity, …
Music and Hatred: How a Song Caused Ethnic Tensions at a Student Party in Skopje
A student party in Skopje in Spring took an unexpected turn when the playing of an Albanian song towards the end of the event sparked controversy and hate speech on social media. A nationalist group named “Patriotsko drushtvo” (Patriotic Society), self-proclaimed as a “young, ambitious group of patriots filled with enthusiasm,” criticised the inclusion of …
REGIONAL MEDIA MONITORING: Ethnicity and gender identity remain the main targets of hate speech as political targeting is on the rise
Reporting Diversity Network has been continuously conducting media monitoring of hate speech on a regional level for almost four years. Our latest set of reports show findings from May 2022 until December 2023. Gender identity and ethnicity remain the most targeted identities, as more than half of all recorded cases across the region referred to …
TROLL OF THE MONTH – SELECTION CRITERIA
The goal of the Reporting Diversity Network 2.0 monitoring is to identify and document the most significant cases (‘incidents’) of hate speech and divisive discourses in the Western Balkans media. Incidents are defined by the speaker regardless of where they occurred, but monitoring refers to their media coverage. They can originate in the Parliament, party …
Monthly Monitoring Highlights July: Relativisation of obstetric violence, sexism and ethnic tensions
Throughout July, the RDN monitoring team has detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we have seen the dangerous revitalisation of obstetric violence alongside hatred based on ethnicity and gender as well as hatred against journalists. Revitalisation of obstetric violence in Serbia In the morning show on TV Prva the Minister for …
The Paris Olympics, Supreme Sportsmanship, or Hatred and Insults?
In a better world, Imane Khelif’s success would be celebrated. Throughout history, women have had a lot to prove. Today, they are put positions where they must prove that they are physiologically women. Some arenas would go as far as excluding them from public spaces, just as in the early days of the Olympics, when …
Troll of the Month: The Radio Television of Republika Srpska
The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region. July 11th marks the International Day of Commemoration of the …
2024 Olympics: The Hijab Ban for French Athletes Tests the Host Nation’s Brand of Secularism
The French government’s decision to ban French athletes from wearing hijabs at the 2024 Olympics sparked months of criticism from rights groups. France has chosen to maintain the ban, adhering to a strict interpretation of “laïcité,” viewing French athletes as “public servants” subject to national secularism laws. On International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee …
EIGHT YEARS IN THE LIGHT (AND SHADOW)
VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION, THE WALL OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE RISES. 2024 marked the eighth edition of Prishtina’s annual Pride Parade. The week leading up the parade, which took place on June 8, 2024, was filled with diverse artistic and cultural activities, activism and unconventional entertainment. Hundreds participants, including members of the LGBTIQ+ communities, allies and political …