Understanding Hate Speech in the Digital Era with Caitlin Carlson

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.