Hate speech and fake news in Trentino-South Tyrol: an underestimated phenomenon?

The data shows that hate speech is rare for political and administrative actors in Trentino-South Tyrol, as more than 80% of them have never or only rarely witnessed it personally or indirectly (i.e., through other members of their institution) However, there are some notable patterns and groups that are more likely to be targeted. These observations were made by the respondents who had experienced it occasionally. Firstly, hate speech is more prevalent in the real world than in the digital one: most common forms of hate speech are personal insults and libel. This was followed by personal insults presented in the media. Secondly, women have had more experience encountering hate speech than man (48% vs 43%). Local politicians are more likely to face hate speech than administrative members (53,1% vs 42,5%), either personally or through other councilors in their organization. Also, 40,7% of the local politicians claim that their institutions have been victim to hate speech. Furthermore, the level of government seems to matter: 56,7% of the respondents from the municipal level have experienced hate speech personally, compared to 42,2% at the provincial/regional level (Figure 2).

Fake news is more common than hate speech, but it is not prevalent in Trentino-South Tyrol, as only 55% of the respondents encounter it occasionally. Both men and women are exposed to fake news, and there is no significant difference between genders perception, both report occasional personal experiences with fake news. To that, 10,2% of the women defined their personal experience of witnessing fake news being frequent, compared to 2,5% for men. Conversely, 9,1% of male respondents underline that members of their municipal administration experienced fake news frequently, compared to 3,1% of female respondents. The level of government also matters: respondents from the municipal level witness fake news more often than those from the provincial and regional levels, respectively 62,4% and 45%. Local politicians are more affected by fake news than administrative members (72,3% vs 58,9%). Moreover, almost two thirds of local politicians state that fake news is sometimes experienced by the members of the municipal council. Looking at the motives behind fake news, most of the interviewees associate the willingness to influence either decision making or elections as one of the main goals of fake news (Figure 3). These events are more frequent in local authorities than in the provinces or the region. Respondents also point out the connection between the two phenomena: fake news sometimes appears as part of hate speech.

How can we explain and address these two potentially disruptive events? According to more than three quarters of the respondents, hate speech and fake news are more likely to occur when people distrust the government and when the government keeps its actions secret and hidden. Therefore, the government itself could play a crucial role in counteracting the deliberate and organized creation of these two phenomena. First, by enhancing transparency and accountability, a more open government could contribute to the reduction of both phenomena. Second, concrete and practical measures, such as identifying the authors of offensive content, uploading filters, requiring clear names on social media or blocking IP addresses of offensive posts, are also considered by both local politicians and administrative staff as technically and legally feasible and appropriate actions against fake news and hate speech (Figure 4).

Fake news and hate speech threaten democracy, human rights, and social cohesion and are thus one of the major concerns in today’s society, even in a small area like Trentino-South Tyrol. While hate speech is perceived as relatively rare in the region, it still happens, mainly in the real world. Fake news is instead more common, but still relatively rare. When looking at public local authorities, local politicians face both hate speech and fake news more than administrative staff. Many factors contribute to the spread of hate speech and fake news, but local actors can prevent them in some domains. First, lack of trust in government and government transparency contribute to both phenomena. Therefore, a higher level of accountability and transparency of the government could be beneficial. Further measures consist in identifying and addressing offending content, implementing filters, and promoting clear identification on social media. Social media content should not be ignored, as it is part of social interaction and community building. Inappropriate or illegal content should be promptly removed to prevent it from being shared, whereas other content, even negative, should be appropriately addressed with reasoning and facts. Training, education, counseling, and specialized staff are needed to fight these phenomena and the related issues effectively. To combat inappropriate content and behavior, political measures like open data, citizen participation, and better communication of decisions are also powerful tools, given the increased level of transparency associated with them. Finally, to tackle the challenges of fake news and hate speech, proactive actions at both the government and societal level are not only welcome but also highly needed.