North Macedonia, Institute for Communication Studies and Media Diversity Institute (2024), Report on media monitoring for hate speech in North Macedonia.

Country

North Macedonia

Title

North Macedonia, Institute for Communication Studies and Media Diversity Institute (2024), Report on media monitoring for hate speech in North Macedonia.

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Year

2024

Publication type

Report - unofficial (CSO) data on incidents

Geographical coverage

National

Area/location of interest

Not applicable - national level

Type of Institution

Civil Society Organisation

Institution

North Macedonia, CSO Institute for Communication Studies and CSO Media Diversity Institute

Thematic focus

Hate speech: Public incitement to hatred or violence

Groups

General population

Key findings

Approximately 26.5% of cases involve hate speech based on ethnicity or race, predominantly targeting the Albanian and Roma communities. Xenophobic and racist sentiments toward migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa are also noted. The narratives often rely on negative stereotypes, promoting inter-ethnic intolerance. Examples include derogatory comments about ethnic Albanians and Roma, with insults targeting specific individuals and generalizations about these groups. The hate speech often goes beyond insults, attempting to normalize segregation, subordination, marginalization, and even expulsion of these ethnic groups. Specific examples include derogatory references to ethnic Albanians and the usage of terms like "Шиптарска влада" (Albanian government) to delegitimize political participation.

Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)

The Media Monitoring Report on Hate Speech in North Macedonia employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze hate speech and discriminatory narratives in the country's media landscape during 2023. Researchers collected and categorized 34 significant cases of hate speech, focusing on their visibility and societal impact. The methodology combines quantitative analysis, sentiment grading, and discourse analysis to examine the types of hate speech, targeted groups, perpetrators, media platforms involved, and the emotional intensity of the content. Cases were classified by the nature of hatred, affected individuals or groups, sources of the incidents, media types, and public reach. A sentiment scale ranging from disagreement to calls for violence was used to assess the affective reactions triggered by each event. Discourse analysis further identified main narratives and sub-narratives, exploring their origins, dissemination, and impact.

Sample details and representativeness

N/A - not applicable/available

DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.