A growing source of concern that divides people and societies is the use of hate speech through the social and mainstream media.
It is a trend Channels Academy hopes to check in the coming days, working in partnership with the Peace Media and Peace Tech Lab.
The Director of the Peace Media and Peace Tech Lab, Theo Dolan, who was at the launch of the Channels Academy in Abuja, said his organisation would support the academy’s curriculum.
“With the launch of the Channels (journalism) Academy, we can integrate hate speech training into the academy’s curriculum and that is what we are hoping to do. We’ll be in discussions about that and I think this is something that professional media can learn more about as well,” he said.
Mr Dolan lamented that some opinion columnists sometimes engage in the use hate speech, saying: “It is obviously very dangerous, especially when it’s coming through the mainstream media”.
He noted further that its trend can be reduced through government and individual efforts.
“There needs to be an effective liaison place to govern hate speech and there has to be a proper reinforcement, that often is lacking. I think the most effective way to address hate speech on social media is for social media users to address it either by reporting instances to the technology companies or by taking steps themselves; for example shaming those people (in large groups) who are actually perpetrating hate speech,” said Dolan.
