C4D Network

Global community of professionals working in Communication for Development

Fanning the Flames of Hate: Social Media and Hate Crime (Oxford, UK)

The Oxford Internet Institute will host Carlo Schwarz from the University of Warwick for the talk ‘Fanning the Flames of Hate: Social Media and Hate Crime’.

About the Talk

The presentation will focus on joint research by Carlo Schwarz and Karsten Müller that investigates the link between social media and hate crime using Facebook data.

For example, Germany, where the recently emerged right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has developed a major social media presence and where research shows that right-wing anti-refugee sentiment on Facebook predicts violent crimes against refugees in municipalities with higher social media usage.

In another study, research found suggestive evidence that a similar mechanism might be at work in the US during the presidential campaign of Donald Trump with a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes since Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been concentrated in counties with high Twitter usage. In the time series, Trump’s Tweets on Islam-related topics are highly correlated with anti-Muslim hate crime after, but not before his presidential campaign, and are uncorrelated with other hate crimes.

About the Speaker

Carlo Schwarz is a PhD student at the University of Warwick. His research interests are in the field of applied microeconomics and political economy, with a focus on text analysis and machine learning. After graduating from the University of Mannheim, Carlo joined the 2+4 MRes/PhD program at the University of Warwick. His recent research focused on the adverse effects of social media, in particular the transmission of hateful sentiment against minorities.

Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fanning-the-flames-of-hate-social-media-and-hate-crime-tickets-50524867238

2018 Public Media Alliance Global Conference: Speak Out! Rebuilding Trust in Media and Democracy (Kingston, Jamaica)

In a digital media world, consumed by the ravages of ‘Fake News’ and toxic outbursts on social media, it is easy to lose sight of the public good delivered by many mainstream media organisations.

The 2018 Public Media Alliance Global Conference will take place in Kingston, Jamaica. In recent months there has been plenty of analysis and discussion about how the media is failing democracy, now it is time to Speak Out! about the positive roles that public interest media can play in society.

The conference will feature high profile global and regional speakers for a day of debate highlighting how new media technologies provide boundless opportunities for innovation in content and ideas. Many broadcasters are evolving into multiplatform media organisations, it’s a critical time for them to ensure that social media use is professionalised and public trust regained.

“Resolute resistance” is clear: CIVICUS newly released ‘State of Civil Society Report 2018’

Although attacks on civil society have become more brazen, the story of the past year was one of resolute resistance against the rising tide of restrictions on fundamental freedoms and democratic values, according to CIVICUS’ 2018 State of Civil Society Report, released 6 March 2018. Sobering data from the CIVICUS Monitor reveals serious systemic problems with civic space in 109 out of 195 countries covered. However, there are also numerous examples of civil society successfully advocating for progressive new laws on women’s rights, access to information and protection of human rights defenders.

OVERVIEW: TOP TEN TRENDS

“What is perhaps unusual about this year’s report is the focus on the resistance and the fact that the fightback is on, ” is one of the key findings of the State of Civil Society Report 2018. The report identifies 10 key trends that impacted on civil society in 2017 and are continuing in 2018, including:

  • Globalised neoliberalism is failing people all around the world;
  • Polarising politics are dividing our societies;
  • Personal rule by political leaders is undermining democratic institutions;
  • Attacks are increasing on journalists reporting on corruption and public protests;
  • Growing surveillance and manipulation of opinion is betraying the promise of social media;
  • Uncivil society is claiming civil society space;
  • Multilateralism is in the firing line;
  • The private sector’s growing role in governance demands more scrutiny;
  • Patriarchy is now firmly under the spotlight;
  • Civil society is fighting back and building resolute resistance.

The full press release to accompany the launch can be found at: http://bit.ly/2FuYwL0

Spaces of Inclusion – An explorative study on needs of refugees and migrants in the domain of media communication and on responses by community media (COE, 2018)

The publication looks at the role played by media in framing the public debate on migration, with often divisive narratives that focus on the threats that refugees and migrants can pose to the security, welfare and cultures of European societies.

Based on individual interviews, the qualitative study explores the media habits and particular needs of refugees and migrants in the domain of media communication. Good practice examples show how community media can meet these needs by offering training and spaces for self-representation, and by offering points of entry into local networks. Community media and their bottom-up approach to content production also contribute to a multilingual media environment that reflects the diversity of European societies and includes marginalised communities as respected part of audiences.

Click here to access the report.

‘Has media forgotten the social value of sports?’ Overview of World Radio Day celebrations, SOAS, London

Our C4D Network Co-ordinator, Samuel Perez Ramirez, gives an overview of the World Radio Day celebrations held on 7 February at SOAS, London.

UNESCO’s annual World Radio Day was celebrated this year on February 7th at SOAS University, London. The theme this year was “Radio and sports” and the event focused on the under-representation of women, BAME communities, and LGBTIQ+ communities, and disability sport in the UK mainstream media.

The event was co-hosted by SOAS Radio, and ConnectSport, with support from the SOAS Centre of African Studies, Communication for Development (C4D) Network and Roundhouse.

The first part of the event was a ‘Radio Fair’ –  where different organisations had their stalls and the public had the opportunity to come and have a chat and learn about the work of the organisations and their ideas about radio, sport, development or communication in general. Organisations that participated in the fair included Insightshare, K2Kradio, Live Sports FM, Street Child United/World Cup and FBB (Football Beyond Borders) Productions, as well as our C4D Network stall.

The second part of the event was a panel discussion with Michelle Moore, a former athlete and advocate of sports for social change; Emma Wright, a Senior Accounts Director (Sport) at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Inc; Leon Mann, interviewer, sports consultant, and film-maker, and Jason Bourne, presenter and journalist at talkSPORT radio, moderated by Simon Lansley, CEO at ConnectSport. The topic for discussion was has the media forgotten the social value of sport and is there is a lack of representation of certain groups and communities in the mainstream media.

All the speakers agreed that there is a lack of diversity, as well as stereotypes faced by some groups and communities when it comes to sport and mass media. Men’s football takes a good portion of the time on the TV, radio and newspaper while other sports and women, LGBTIQ+ community, BAME and disability sport have little media coverage.

Some of the speakers talked about sports governance and the responsibility the government has in changing the situation by giving more visibility to those underrepresented groups and communities, as well as influencing at leadership levels and the quota’s governance.

Another key point of the panel discussion was the main roll we (all) play as consumers. The speakers focused on how changing our way of consuming information from the media – with a new focus and ethics that represent all those who haven’t been fairly treated so far in sport – would bring a change of the media mainstream content and give a fairer representation across mass media.

The speakers also exchanged observations about what would be the best communication channel to reach those who are not aware of the situation of under-representation of women and other groups and communities in sport. Social Media seemed to be the preferred channel and because sport is a reflection of society, calling people out on social media could have a big impact on changing attitudes and behaviours.

To summarise, all the speakers agreed that we have a moral responsibility to change and that by rising our voices and creating a big social movement, sport will experience a considerable change and women, BAME, LGTBIQ+ communities and disability sport will have a bigger positive social impact, ending discrimination and creating a more inclusive sport culture.

Panel discussion photo credit: SOAS Radio

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