Today we meet Professor Caitlin Carlson, Chair of the Communication and Media Department the University of Seattle in Washington and turn our gaze towards the USA. We discuss the role of social media platforms in regulating hate speech and learn about the obstacles legal institutions face when trying to criminalise hate speech. 

Caitlin Ring Carlson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Head of the Communication and Media Department at Seattle University. Her primary research interests are in media law and policy as they pertain to new media, freedom of expression and social justice. Her current work focuses on hate speech. She is also interested in women’s freedom of expression, including women’s press freedom and women’s media ownership.

She is the author of the book “Hate Speech,” which was published by MIT Press in 2021. Dr. Carlson is also a member of the author team for textbook, The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication (8th ed.), published by Sage in 2023. Her work has been published in leading academic journals such as Communication Law & Policy, the Journal of Media Law and Ethics, and First Amendment Studies. 

In our second episode we meet Jordan Etherington from Trent University. Together we discuss right-wing rhetoric on YouTube and explore how language creates visceral, emotional reactions that can be used strategically to reinforce prejudice and violence.     

Jordan Etherington is a current PhD candidate in Cultural Studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. He also holds a Masters in Criminology from OntarioTech. His areas of research include affect theory, media analysis, right-wing extremism, propaganda, and masculinity studies                                                                                           

In our first episode we explore the social complexities of "covert" or "hidden" modes of hate speech in multicultural societies. We feature Associate Prof. Katerina Strani from the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who discusses how linguistic strategies of “othering” foster societal divisions and violence against minorities and marginalised groups.

Dr Katerina Strani leads the Migration theme at the Heriot-Watt University’s Intercultural Research Centre, and was a Visiting Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań from 2021 to 2022. 

With a background in Languages in Politics, Katerina has published papers on intercultural dialogue, racism and hate speech, language and heritage, as well as an edited volume on Multilingualism and Politics. Katerina has led EU-funded projects on racism and discrimination, and two language and culture apps, for newly arrived migrants and refugees, and for endangered languages. She is currently leading a project on online hate speech against Ukrainians funded by the British Academy (2023-2025).

Staff Profile Dr. Katerina Strani, Heriot-Watt University: https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/katerina-strani

Twitter Dr. Katerina Strani: https://twitter.com/KaterinaStrani

A thought-provoking podcast series that delves into the intricate world of hate speech. The podcast brings together experts in the social sciences, linguistics, and criminology to explore what hate speech is, how it manifests, and how it can be regulated.

Hosted by Sandhya Fuchs

Sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust