Unfortunately, racist hoaxes or hoaxes against certain groups are becoming more and more common. For this reason, Hospitalet has created a program to keep the population of the municipality informed and to be able to disprove these fake news.
The office is called “Xarxa Antirumors l’Hospitalet” and under the slogan “Els rumors ensitxen a tots i totes. Pensa, informa-te’n i actua” they want to put the focus on the responsibility of people who create or spread false information with discriminatory objectives.
The program warns about the consequences of these hoaxes, which can be based on gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc.
First it starts with rumors, through social networks, among groups of friends or in the street. Gradually, this information begins to permeate people, going from private to public comments, such as insults in the middle of the street.
This escalation of discriminatory speech, if left unchecked, can lead to physical aggression. That is why, as they remark from the Xarxa Antirumors, it is necessary to fight it from the beginning to prevent it from going further.
One of the tools that have been created around the program is this website. It offers videos, leaflets and campaigns, such as the triple check, which allows to put an end to these rumors thanks to knowledge and information.
On the other hand, the City Council staff responsible for citizen attention has also been trained on what these rumors are and how to act accordingly.
Starting this autumn, the Xarxa Antirumors is expected to start awareness-raising actions aimed at specific groups, such as the elderly, young people or shopkeepers. These campaigns will address stereotypes and misinformation affecting this social group.