Countering Hate Speech and Discrimination with Information and Media Literacy Skills

In the third episode of the InfoDetox podcast, we explore what hate speech is, how it manifests itself in digital media, and what threat it poses to society. In the age of social media, aggressive and discriminatory statements have become all too commonplace — the Internet has given people the opportunity to spread hatred without any responsibility. Using examples from life and social media, we see how quickly and imperceptibly this form of discrimination spreads. Oksana Romanyuk, Director of the Institute of Mass Information, will talk about the importance of critical thinking — the ability to recognize manipulation, analyze sources, and understand that aggressive rhetoric is often based not on facts, but on emotions. Disinformation breeds division, mistrust, and aggression, and it is media literacy that protects against these risks. The spread of content that brings value and support is an alternative to hostility.