SVF gets antisemitic comments removed from an article on Hungarian magazine
Hungarian magazine Mandiner has removed violent antisemitic comments from their website after the Subjective Values Foundation (SVF) sent a complaint requesting urgent moderation. This was done as part of Get the Trolls Out! campaign.
Mandiner is a national conservative magazine owned by KESMA, a company with close ties to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. On 19 August, the magazine published an article on the recent anti-LGBTQI law, titled “Kufars of Faithfulness” and written by Mária Vásárhelyi.
The Guardian reported that this law was passed by 157 votes to one, despite leading human rights officials stating the harm this would cause by reducing the hard-won rights of LGBTQI persons.
Vásárhelyi’s article also exposed how stereotypical perceptions of LGBTQI persons can help to create a climate where such laws are able to be passed.
In fact, she states it is an attempt by the Hungarian government to mislead people by preying on their anxiety and fears around LGBTI persons.
Just because a child watches content showing homosexual love does not mean they will be turned gay.
In fact, she states it is an attempt by the Hungarian government to mislead people by preying on their anxiety and fears around LGBTI persons,
Under the article, some readers posted antisemitic comments, including calls for violence against Jewish people.
The Subjective Values Foundation contacted the editors of Mandiner, raising attention towards the high number of vile antisemitic comments and providing some examples.
“The topic obviously provoked strong emotions in some readers. It was not my intention to go through your comments section, but the use of antisemitic hate speech came across so blatantly that I wanted to highlight them and offer my help if needed,” SVF’s letter stated.
“Freedom of speech is, of course, an important and protected issue, but as an individual and as the director of the SVF an organisation actively engaged in fighting hate speech, I am requesting that you remove these comments from your site, especially as it’s obvious that this kind of speech is very far from your own values.”
Comments section of Mandiner
Mandiner’s editors replied informing SVF that the offensive comments were removed from the article in question, and stated that “each post in the comment section reflects the views of the individual reader,” and not the values of the online media outlet itself.
