Mapping Online Hate Speech among Ethiopians: The Case of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study aimed to provide the current nature of hate speech through mapping it in different social media platforms (Face book, YouTube and Twitter) Ethiopians use. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the extent and nature of online hate speech among Ethiopians. To this end, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to realize the stated objective. Specifically survey-questionnaire, content analysis and in-depth interviews were employed to collect the necessary data and information. Questionnaire as a method of survey employed as a scientific instrument to obtain data from 200 selected samples of active social media users. Also, the content analysis was done on 286 samples of public posts from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube by 2018. Regarding in -depth interview, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 samples of professionals to understand their views. Purposive sampling method was employed to select samples of active social media users, social media posts and professional interviewees. Accordingly, based on the survey questionnaires, social media content analysis and in-depth interviews this research uncovered that hate speech exists on social media platforms Ethiopians usually go to. Based on the empirical data this research also found out that the prevalence of hate speech among Ethiopians is common and social media are mostly fetching a stage for the pervasiveness of hate speech among Ethiopians. For instance, 77.5% of questionnaires respondents claim that the role of social media for the presence of online hate speech among Ethiopians is very high and high, and also the quantitative content analysis of the social media posts shows that the 95.4% of them are posts with hate speech nature. Hence, Facebook is the chief platform for providing a stage for hate speech, followed by YouTube and Twitter. According to the data, ethnicity-based hate speeches are the predominant type of hate speech among Ethiopians in addition to political-based hate speech. The online hate speech landscape among Ethiopians appears to be serious and requires attention and some kind of intervention by the government and society at large.
Key words: hate speech, online hate speech, social media, Ethiopia
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Keywords
hate speech, online hate speech, social media, Ethiopia