A/HRC/28/64
89.
Ethics codes play an important role in guiding press workers on how to report
objectively and responsibly. The Press Ethics Code of Benin emphasizes that “Journalists
must refuse to publish any incitement to tribal, racial and religious hatred. They must make
a stand against all forms of discrimination” (art. 10). Singapore’s Internet Code of Practice
considers as prohibited material that “glorifies, incites or endorses ethnic, racial or religious
hatred, strife or intolerance” (art. 4 (2)(g)).
90.
Independent regulatory bodies, such as media watchdogs, councils and ombudsmen,
monitor media reporting, identify and report on hateful content and reinforce ethical
standards. However, regulatory media bodies must not unduly censor media sources and
must comply with international standards. The Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina
monitors the application of the Press Code and the investigation of complaints. In 2014, in
the context of the general elections campaign, it launched the campaign “STOP! Hate
Speech!”.
91.
Several self-regulatory media bodies have started to operate in Africa, some of them
in countries with a history of hate speech and incitement to violence against minority
groups. The Rwanda Media Commission was established in 2013 with the mandate to
promote ethical journalism, defend media freedom and adjudicate complaints against the
media; some commentators have alleged censorship and serious restrictions on media
freedoms.
92.
Media self-regulatory bodies in the Americas include the Ethics Committee of the
Journalism National Council in Panama.34 The Committee brings together journalists,
media owners, civil society, academics and the Office of the Ombudsman and receives and
responds to complaints about journalism practices.
93.
Participation of minorities in the media landscape encompasses the possibility for
minority professionals to work in media outlets. Some media outlets have developed
specific programmes and internships to recruit and train minority media workers in order to
promote ethnic diversity in the newsrooms and press offices.
D.
Civil society initiatives to address hate speech
94.
Civil society organizations have developed innovative approaches and actions to
combat hate in the media, including the Internet. Those actions include identifying hate
trends, tracking and monitoring hate speech websites, notifying potentially affected or
targeted communities about hate activities, working closely with Internet providers and
governmental agencies to report hateful content and providing online educational materials
and training programmes.
95.
Studio Ijambo was launched in 1995 by the organization Search for Common
Ground to address inter-ethnic violence in Burundi. The programme aimed to establish a
platform to promote dialogue and tolerance through radio, in contrast to hate speech and
incitement in radio programmes in neighbouring Rwanda. The station uses different
formats, including debates and discussion programmes, soap operas, sketches and
interactions between political leaders and youth, for example. Twenty years on, the model
is considered a success and has been replicated in other African countries, including the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, where radio has been used to promote constructive
messages about conflict resolution.
34
Report of the Expert Workshop for the Americas, Santiago, 12 and 13 October 2011, available from
www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Expression/ICCPR/Santiago/MeetingReportSantagio.pdf.
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