"This resource combines the collective wisdom of organizations on the front lines of combatting disinformation globally. This living project provides an outline of what’s being done to address the challenge in key areas and provides a searchable database of the organizations around the world engag
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ed in making the digital landscape safe for democracy. Effective democracies require that citizens have access to accurate and impartial electoral and political information. Disinformation campaigns spread cynicism, distort political processes and hinder citizens’ ability to make sound political decisions. Together we seek to identify what works, and expand the community engaged in this effort." (Publisher description)
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"This Issue Paper examines nearly 1,500 news articles from four EU member states (Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic) published between May 2019 and July 2020. It shows that disinformation narratives about migration seek to exploit readers’ fears to polarise public opinion, manufacture d
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iscontent, sow divisions and set the political agenda. Disinformation actors link migration to existing insecurities, depicting it as a threat to three partly-overlapping areas: Health (migrants as violent criminals, potential terrorists, or a COVID-19 infection risk); Wealth (migrants as social benefits cheats, unfair competition for jobs, or a drain on community resources); Identity (migrants as a hostile invasion force, a threat to European or Christian traditions, or the subject of a conspiracy to replace white Europeans). An effective communication strategy based on alternative narratives should take account of the following recommendations: The message should aim to reframe the debate. It should resonate with the target audience’s lived experience, acknowledging their values and concerns, but avoid amplifying anxieties [...] The medium should aim to restore trust among groups. Institutions, which are often subject to discrediting campaigns, should prioritise communication through trusted intermediaries who can get messages to the hard-to-reach [...] The selection of the audience should aim to reclaim readers from the fringes. Audiences should be targeted based on their values and what they feel is important." (Executive summary)
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"[...] the purpose of this paper is to highlight the main models and elements that media in Albania manifest regarding hate speech, propaganda and disinformation. The research focuses mainly on online media, as they are identified as the main carriers of disinformation and hate speech, with a few ex
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ceptions, but traditional media are also present. The analysis is based on previous research studies, interviews with experts, and public statements and case studies, but mostly on the direct monitoring of models that are identified as manifesting problematic elements in the framework of this research. The content monitoring was carried out in the period June–August 2020, and focused on several media outlets and social media networks, mainly on particular narratives and case studies. The paper does not intend in any way to single out particular media, programmes or individuals, but rather to provide an overview of the main tendencies regarding hate speech, propaganda and disinformation in Albanian media, and also identify ways of countering these narratives." (Introduction)
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"This edited collection provides a timely review of the current state of hate speech research in Asia and Europe, through the comparative examples of Korea, Japan and France. Extending the study of hate speech studies beyond the largely western emphasis on European and US contexts dominant in the fi
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eld, this book's comparative framework aims to examine hate speech as a global phenomenon spanning Asian and European contexts. An innovative range of nuanced empirical case studies explore hate speech by analyzing gendered hate speech and nationality, French cartoon humour, official counter radicalization narratives and the use of international law to inform domestic legislation in the Philippines and Japan. A fresh perspective on Asian and European hate speech, this book's evaluation of current of hate speech research also identifies future directions for the development of theory and method. Filling a critical gap in the literature, Hate Speech in Asia and Europe will appeal to students and scholars of law, politics, religion, history, social policy and social science more broadly, as well as Asian Studies." (Publisher description)
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"This article analyses the role of Telegram in orienting, amplifying, and normalizing the non-consensual diffusion of intimate images (NCII). We focus on the sense of anonymity, the platform’s weak regulation, and the possibility of creating large male communities, arguing that these affordances a
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re “gendered affordances” as they orient male participants’ harassment behaviors and, in concert with an established misogynist culture, contribute to the reinstatement of hegemonic masculinity. The research draws on data collected through an online covert ethnography of Italian Telegram channels and groups." (Abstract)
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"Rechtsextremistisch, antisemitisch oder rassistisch motivierten Anschlägen fielen seit 2019 in Neuseeland, den USA, Norwegen und Deutschland 86 Menschen zu Opfer. Die Täter verbindet nicht nur ihr Hass, sondern ebenso ihre Radikalisierung im Internet. Sie alle fanden zuvor in einschlägigen Foren
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Gleichgesinnte und Ansporn, ideologische Substrate für ihr Weltbild, aber auch Anleitungen zur Herstellung von Waffen. Bei dem Anschlag auf die Synagoge in Halle hatte sich der Attentäter für eine Online-Übertragung der Tat ausgerüstet – sie öffentlich sichtbar zu machen gehört, so der Tenor des Buches, zum Kalkül eines speziellen, ausschließlich männlichen Tätertypus. Im realen Leben sei er (selbst)isoliert, aber virtuell und global bestens vernetzt. In Anlehnung an die Strategien, die Codes und Ziele einschlägiger Computerspiele inszeniere er den Terror und biete ihn einem gleichgesinnten internationalen Publikum dar. Das Weltbild dieser Täter sei antisemitisch, rassistisch und misogyn, zugleich vielfach von Selbstmitleid, gekränkter Männlichkeit und Selbsthass bestimmt – das Ventil, mit diesen Affekten fertig zu werden, finden sie in imaginierten oder auch realisierten Gewalttaten. Die Autorinnen und Autoren beleuchten Motive, Sozialisation und Selbstinszenierung der Täter und fragen, welche Verbindungen zwischen der virtuellen Radikalisierung und den realen Gewalttaten von Rechtsterroristen bestehen. Ein eigenes Kapitel befasst sich zudem mit der Rechtslage gegen Hass im Internet." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Auf der ganzen Welt nutzen unterschiedlichste Akteure die Wirkungsmechanismen der digitalen Medien aus, um durch gezielte Desinformationskampagnen die öffentliche Meinung zu beeinflussen. Dies, so lautet die zentrale These von Peter Pomerantsev, bedrohe Demokratien und Demokratisierungsprozesse. W
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o früher Informationen durch die Zensur kontrolliert wurden, gebe es heute ein Überangebot an Informationen, deren Wahrheitsgehalt immer schwerer feststellbar ist. Dadurch ginge das Vertrauen in eine gemeinsam gelebte und objektiv überprüfbare Wirklichkeit als Voraussetzung öffentlicher Meinungs- und Willensbildung zunehmend verloren. Autokratische Regime hätten es so leichter, Narrative zu verbreiten, die das Ziel haben, politische Gegner zu schwächen, missliebige Journalistinnen und Journalisten zu diskreditieren oder zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen zu delegitimieren. Kriege wie der in der Ostukraine würden heutzutage nicht durch Schusswaffen, sondern durch Troll-Armeen, Cybermilizen und Facebook-Posts entschieden. Auf seinen Reisen taucht Pomerantsev in die grenzenlose Welt der Internetaktivistinnen und -aktivisten ein und zeigt die lokalen Folgen davon auf, wenn sie Kategorien wie Wahrheit und Lüge ins Wanken bringen." (Klappentext)
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"Focusing predominantly on efforts countering Salafi-Jihadi extremism, this book examines how feasible it is to prevent or counter radicalization and violent extremism with countermessaging efforts. It investigates important principles to consider when devising such a program. The authors provide bo
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th a comprehensive theoretical overview and a review of the available literature, as well as policy recommendations for governments and the role they can play in counter-narrative efforts." (Back cover)
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"Die unterschiedlichen Quellen des Judenhasses finden mit den medialen Möglichkeiten des 21. Jahrhunderts einen nie gekannten Resonanzboden, der Anonymität wahrt und Reichweite ermöglicht. Latente und virulente antisemitische Stereotype werden mit aktuellen Bezügen aufgeladen und verstärkt. Mon
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ika Schwarz-Friesels auf breiter Datenbasis erstellte Studie zeigt das wachsende Ausmaß der teils abgrundtief hasserfüllten antisemitischen Kommunikation im digitalen Zeitalter und analysiert Formen ihrer sprachlich-medialen Verbreitung. Sie fordert angesichts eines letztlich faktenresistenten antisemitischen Vorurteilssystems eine engagierte Aufklärung über die kulturhistorischen und alltagskulturellen Zusammenhänge des Judenhasses und eine Gesellschaft, die sich dem tradierten und instrumentalisierten Antisemitismus entschlossen entgegenstellt." (Klappentext)
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"Die Propaganda der terroristischen Miliz "Islamischer Staat" hat für Aufsehen gesorgt und die Debatte um das Internet und vor allem das "Social Web" als Risikotechnologie oder Gefahrenraum mitbestimmt. Dabei setzt der IS auf ein breites Spektrum medialer und gestalterischer Formen und Formate eine
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r globalen, digitalen Medienkultur, um ein internationales Publikum zu erreichen: Online-Videos, anashid (Lieder) und Computerspiele; Internet-Meme, Social Media Posting oder Selfies. Der Sammelband gibt Einblick in die Bandbreite dieser jihadistischen Kommunikate, ihrer Ausdrucks- und Darstellungsweisen und zeigt dabei Möglichkeiten der Einordnung und der Auseinandersetzung auf." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"This book, the first to specifically focus on disability hate speech, explains what disability hate speech is, why it is important, what laws regulate it (both online and in person) and how it is different from other forms of hate. Unfortunately, disability is often ignored or overlooked in academi
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c, legal, political, and cultural analyses of the broader problem of hate speech. Its unique personal, ideological, economic, political and legal dimensions have not been recognized - until now. Disability hate speech is an everyday experience for many people, leaving terrible psycho-emotional scars. This book includes personal testimonies from victims discussing the personal impact of disability hate speech, explaining in detail how such hatred affects them. It also presents legal, historical, psychological, and cultural analyses, including the results of the first surveys and in-depth interviews ever conducted on this topic in some countries." (Publisher description)
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"Using a randomized encouragement design, we assigned 2,064 people to listen to either 'Ina Mafita' or to a control program (professional soccer matches) each week over the course of two months. Recruitment and engagement were conducted remotely via short message service (short message system [SMS]
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or text message). The results indicate that the radio show 'Ina Mafita' had a positive effect on listeners’ beliefs about the importance of being a role model and a positive but not significant effect on the belief in local committees’ value in reintegrating at-risk youth. Results were more pronounced for high complier subsample and for those who reported liking the show’s story line. The authors found no effect on listeners’ views of kidnap victims. The researchers found no or possibly negative effects on listeners’ value of diversity, however, it must be noted that the show did not explicitly address this theme. Listeners also enjoyed the show and many continued to listen to the show after the incentivized exposure had concluded." (Key findings)
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"This book offers a comprehensive overview and analysis of the Islamic State's use of propaganda. Combining a range of different theoretical perspectives from across the social sciences, and using rigorous methods, the authors trace the origins of the Islamic State's message, laying bare the strateg
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ic logic guiding its evolution, examining each of its multi-media components, and showing how these elements work together to radicalize audiences' worldviews. This volume highlights the challenges that this sort of "full-spectrum propaganda" raises for counter terrorism forces. It is not only a one-stop resource for any analyst of IS and Salafi-jihadism, but also a rich contribution to the study of text and visual propaganda, radicalization and political violence, and international security." (Publisher description)
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