Abstract
Religious intolerance manifests itself periodically in ways that test democracies' commitment to freedom of expression. Responding to this challenge requires a conceptual clarity that is often lacking. This article proposes a corrective lens in the form of a new concept, hate spin. Hate spin absorbs the familiar concept of hate speech, or incitement, and combines it with the less understood strategy of offense-taking or manufactured indignation. The two sides of hate spin—incitement and offense-taking—are used by political entrepreneurs to mobilize supporters and coerce targeted groups. Incitement may warrant legal intervention, but censorship is a counterproductive response to offense. The article explicates the concept of hate spin, identifies its key characteristics, and suggests directions for further research.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 156-175 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Communication Theory |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 22 Nov 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2017 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Communication
- Linguistics and Language
User-Defined Keywords
- Freedom of Expression
- Hate Speech
- Incitement
- Offense
- Religion