Covering Hate Speech: A Guide for Journalists

This guide is the first in a series of guides for journalists prepared jointly by the UNESCO Communication and Information and Education Sectors on covering hate speech and its different manifestations.

This guide explains what may count as hate speech, the harms it may cause, the way it works, and how media gatekeepers and other actors can address it. Many debates around hate speech are about law and regulation. Understanding the law, especially international law, can help journalists when reporting incidents where speakers are accused of hate speech. It can also help them analyse whether existing laws, as written and as applied, comply with international human rights approaches for striking the right balance between freedom of expression and the right to dignity, equality and non-discrimination.