As part of the COST Action PLURILINGMEDIA, Adrian Borka carried out a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at the Institute for Ethnic Studies in Ljubljana from 25 to 30 August 2025.
The main interest of this STSM was to analyse hate speech towards national minorities in media in Slovenia. During his stay, Adrian Borka met with experts and representatives from several key institutions, including the Institute for Ethnic Studies, the Peace Institute, the Faculty of Law at the University of Ljubljana, Radiotelevizija Slovenija and the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia.
Through interviews and discussions, he explored questions such as:
- Does hate speech in the media lead to hate crimes against minorities?
- How do public and private media differ in this regard?
- What is the role of social media compared to traditional outlets?
- How can hate speech be identified and effectively countered?
He also examined whether journalists receive adequate training to recognise and prevent hate speech, and how media professionals can contribute to a more respectful public discourse.
As part of his visit, Adrian Borka also gave a guest lecture at the Institute for Ethnic Studies, presenting the situation of national minorities in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. He focused on key areas such as education, culture, the official use of languages, and minority language media, highlighting the region’s strong multilingual character.
Adrian Borka’s findings will contribute to a scientific paper to be published in Serbian and English, as well as to his doctoral dissertation on hate speech, media influence and hate crimes against minorities in Slovenia.
Finally, the mission also laid the foundation for future collaboration between the Institute for Ethnic Studies, the Peace Institute and institutions in Vojvodina. This will include joint participation in conferences and research projects, as well as exchange visits by researchers and experts.
