Journalists play a vital role in shaping public opinion and supporting democratic processes. By providing reliable information, they can contribute to promote mutual understanding and a tolerant society. To foster ethical journalism and combat hate speech, a two-day training for 20 Armenian journalists was organised in co-operation with the Human Rights Defender’s Office of the Republic of Armenia. The training aimed to equip journalists with the skills to distinguish between hate speech and freedom of expression, ensuring that reporting is accurate, sensitive, and impactful.
Equipping journalists with an understanding of European standards on hate speech, training them to detect harmful rhetoric and actively counter it through accountable reporting is of importance. Strengthening the role of journalists and promoting ethical journalism is recognised by the Council of Europe as a key priority.
The journalists that participated highlighted the value of such a training to get acquainted with the relevant legal environment they work in, Armenia’s current legislation on hate speech definition and regulation, and the European standards in the field.
The training focused on topics such as: ethical reporting on vulnerable communities, Armenian and European legal frameworks on hate speech, media self-regulation, the challenges of reporting in the context of displaced populations and the role of the media in preventing harmful stereotypes.
This event is part of the Council of Europe project “Strengthening human rights safeguards for the displaced population in Armenia”, and as part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination in Armenia”.