HRC 61 Item 5 Media-Fueled Persecution: Establishing Accountability for Sensationalist Coverage of Religious Minorities
Sensationalist media coverage triggers systematic violence against religious minorities worldwide. Following the Public Health Approach to Violence Prevention, stigmatization by mainstream and digital platforms—such as Netflix documentaries on Jehovah’s Witnesses or South Korean coverage of Gospel Mission—precedes persecution and violence. Recent cases include hammer attacks on Shincheonji members in Taiwan. We urge the Human Rights Council to establish an expert group monitoring media-driven discrimination to protect believers from state and online violence fueled by inflammatory content.
