Conversations That Count

Criminalising Hate Speech.

Who can decide what is on the right side and what is wrong? Free speech for one can be hate speech for another. Where does the line between protecting vulnerable citizens and political censorship lie? Are we in danger of obscuring the truth and creating our own era of fake news by shutting down opinions that clash with the mainstream?

Since Donald Trump gave notoriety to the phrase “fake news” during the 2016 US election, the term has been used in an attempt to call out, as well as discredit, different opinions and worldviews. In Russia and Singapore, it is now illegal to create media content that disagrees with or criticises the government or its policies. Meanwhile, the United States government has recently launched a tool for reporting alleged social media censorship, after rising complaints that social media accounts were suspended or banned for allegedly posting “hateful” content.

New Zealand too, in the wake of the Christchurch attack, is taking a long hard look at the line that separates free and hate speech, and how this spurs fake news. The evening will include a panel of three guest speakers, mediated by the MC. Headline speaker Professor Stephen Croucher, Head of School – Communications, Journalism, and Marketing at Massey University will kick off the discussion by delivering his thoughts on the subject in a 10 minute address. To expand the topic further, our two other panellists will follow with their own short addresses, rounded off with the MC opening the panel to questions from the audience.

Before we dive right in, there will be a networking reception with light refreshments. The perfect opportunity for you to bounce your ideas off fellow attendees ahead of the talk.