MEDIA MONITORING REPORT ON HATE SPEECH IN MONTENEGRO

Author: Ana Nenezić
Publishers: Media Diversity Institute and Center for Investigative Journalism Montenegro

This report represents a continuation of ongoing efforts to monitor and analyse hate speech within the Montenegrin media landscape, covering the period from May 2022 to December 2023. This timeframe was particularly significant for Montenegro, marked by intense political activity and societal shifts due to three major electoral processes: local elections across numerous municipalities including the capital, Podgorica, as well as Presidential and Parliamentary elections. These events have catalysed a notable increase in hate speech, underscoring the urgency of the research.

Defined methodological approach mirrors our preceding report, maintaining consistency in analysis of media content. We conducted a comprehensive overview of traditional and online media outlets, including newspapers, television broadcasts, information portals, radio, and social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This extensive media monitoring focused on identifying and analysing incidents of hate speech and discriminatory content, with a particular emphasis on content originating from public officials and politicians. The rationale behind this focus stems from the substantial influence these figures have over public opinion, making their statements critical to understanding the dynamics of hate speech in Montenegro. The methodology did not include the analyses of comments posted on online media, nor those on social media, but only the content directly being published by media and influential individuals in Montenegro.

The analysis used a multifaceted approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods, alongside adjusted discourse analysis. This allowed us to classify the collected cases by various criteria: the subject matter, the narrative techniques employed, the target groups or individuals, the profile of the offenders, the reach and impact of the content, the media format utilised, and the broader societal and political context within which these incidents occurred.

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