The problem of hate speech in Georgian media – Training by Human Rights Centre

 Natia Gogolashvili 

On February 7, Human Rights Center organized one-day training about hate speech in its Gurjaani office.  The training was organized in the frame of Human Rights Centre’s project Promoting Freedom of Religion in Georgia. The project is implemented with financial support of the Canadian Embassy in Turkey. The training was organized for journalists, lawyers, students and representatives of religious minorities. Media-trainer Salome Achba conducted the one-day course on hate speech for participants. 

Hate speech in media is a topic which requires more public engagement because it is society who has authority to call on the media to have more responsibility. The trainer paid particular attention to these issues during the course. 

 

Salome Achba, Media Trainer: “During recent years, problem of hate speech has been very urgent in Georgian media. Laws against discrimination are adopted in the country and nowadays the hate speech is even declared to be a crime. So, I think this topic is very important and urgent. Society must discuss this topic and should talk much about it. Recently, media seems to more actively use political hate speech. Also, very often hate speech is used with regard to ethnic groups. Media should self-regulate the hate speech. It means media should always be aware of the possible consequences of what they publish on its web-page, newspaper or on TV. The media should feel a responsibility and society must play key role in it. That society should instruct the media to work with more responsibility and follow principles of tolerance.” 

A participant of the training, lawyer of Jehovah Witnesses, Manuchar Tsimintia said nowadays hate speech is actively used especially with regard to religious communities: "Hate speech is particularly urgent problem in connection with of religion. We have experienced hard past in this direction but situation is not better now too. Many problems must be addressed and recently adopted law on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination also proves that we really have problems in the society. I think adoption of the law was caused by high level of hate speech. Now, it is important that the law is applied properly. We need more practice, more petitions and appeal about these problems. Recently, we had a couple examples when our witnesses became victims of hate speech. Among them I would like to underline one popular TV program, when the hate speech in it caused high public resonance. This program effected our organization too and we still under impact of it. However, we also immediate responded to this fact and as a result the TV-Company publicly apologized for the incident.” 

Journalist Erekle Tsotsanidze at Kakheti regional TV Tanamgzavri thinks that there are some stereotypes due to traditions in the country, and in most cases they are discriminatory: “It is problem of society not only in Georgia, but also in all traditional countries. People often involuntarily destroy others’ private lives when they actively discuss their lives. Society establishes some dogmas and life rules. Therefore it is very important to raise public awareness up to the condition when they start destroying stereotypes. For example, thousands of people clashed 100-150 people on May 17, 2013. The stereotype, which claims that sexual minorities must not exist, must be broken. This stereotype caused physical assault and intimidation of people. There is huge aggression against them and there is risk that sexual minorities will become absolutely inadmissible for the society. People sick with stereotypes might lead people to fatal consequences,” Erekle Tsotsanidze said. 

According to him, very often it is media that encourages stereotypes in the society: “Let's take example of talk shows. Stories about people with disabilities are often dramatized.  One concrete reportage can make the strongest disabled person into desperate.  Humor and satire are good examples of reinforcement stereotypes by media. I think similar TV-programs must play the key role in the break of stereotypes. Instead, they reinforce stereotypes. Unfortunately, society cannot understand it because stereotypes are style of our everyday life.” 

Training participant, journalist Magda Bezhanishvili at TV Tanamgzavri, who is blind, spoke about state responsibilities and discrimination from state institutions. 

“Problems have always been in Georgia; the state tries to solve them but there are so many problems that perhaps the state does not know where to start from. First of all, we have problem of integration in the environment. The streets are not adapted for disabled people; persons using wheelchair and blind people cannot move in the streets independently. I think, the state must do its best for the integration of these people because it is possible to do. Public opinion about disabled people is another problem. I think it will take long time to change people's views. Journalists must work on the problems of disabled people with more responsibility. These problems must not be dramatized. Often they make shows with similar stories. As a result, wrong coverage of the problems cause public compassion for disabled people,” Magda Bejanishvili said.

“At this point, I think, it is not necessary to make the law about hate speech stricter. In my opinion, we should be more focused on public awareness and self-regulation mechanisms rather than making the law stricter and applying it against media. We see that self-regulation mechanism is not as strong as it should be,” Salome Achba said and added that it is important to increase professional standards of media.

Today, hate speech is not criminalized that means criminal liability is not imposed on any person for hate speech. In accordance to the March 2014 amendments to the Georgian Legislation, notion of the crime motivated by hate speech appeared in the law. Accordingly, hate is considered to be aggravating circumstances for the crime. As for media regulation of media, media is regulated by the Law on Broadcasting and the Code of Conduct for Broadcasters. According to the law, the broadcaster shall not air programs, which encourage discrimination and hate.