The first workshop on discussion of news items within the scope of Media Watch on Hate Speech project was held on March 15, 2017 with the contributions of Friedrich Naumann Foundation and with the participation of individuals from different segments of the society. In the workshop, issues such as discrimination, hate speech and right-based journalism were discussed through different examples of news stories and opinion columns. Workshop took place at Hrant Dink Foundation Anarad Hığutyun Building under the moderation of Mahmut Çınar and İdil Engindeniz.

The participants of the workshop were chosen among the applicants of the open call by the Foundation. In addition to the project team and the moderators, workshop was participated by 15 people including students from departments of Journalism, TV Reporting, Translation Studies, Women’s Studies, Law, Political Science and International Relations, and Sociology and individuals from different professions such as communications professor, news editor, Turkish Language and Literature teacher, lawyer and architect.

Questions such as “How does the framework of a news story produce discrimination with its headline, lead sentence, image and content? When does an opinion column transgress the limits of freedom of expression and produce hate speech? What is difference between hate speech and discriminatory discourse? Which phrases frequently used in print press and daily life reinforce prejudices against certain identities?” were discussed in the workshop through examples of news stories and opinion columns selected during media monitoring work.