Hate speech production on new media: The case of Facebook as a social networking site

This thesis focuses on the hate speech circulated via a social network site Facebook as a new media environment. Characteristics of new media enable users to produce content and circulate this content through the Internet. Along with several positive instances, there are some negative instances of user generated contents such as the contents that contain hate speech. Thus, it?s needed to pay attention to the discourses of user generated hate contents. Furthermore, the contents on the web can reach out a number of users through different new media applications. Both risks and opportunities of new media can be found on social networking sites. This thesis examines which discourse practices are used in the user generated hate contents which are basically one of the risksFor this purpose, concepts of discourse and hate speech have been evaluated in Chapter One, and characteristics of new media and some new media applications studied in Chapter Two. Discoursive practices of hate speech circulation on Facebook which is one of social networking sites have been defined in Chapter Three. In conclusion, some suggestions are made in order to struggle hate speech produced particularly in Facebook.Key Words: New Media, Facebook, Discrimination, Discourse, Hate Speech