In 2022, Azerbaijani media featured queerphobic materials that illustrated a distorted reality of queer citizens. Attacks against LGBTIQ+ are on the rise amidst an increase in negative media narratives that target LGBTIQ+. For instance, queer activist Avaz Hafizli, who was murdered in February 2022, was directly targeted by Sevinj Huseynova, a social media phenomenon.
QueeRadar’s annual report illustrates and details how attacks, discriminatory coverage and toxic attitudes towards the LGBTIQ+ are reflected in the media, or fostered by the media itself, exposing the transphobic and homophobic silence on the violence and the targeting of LGBTIQ+. We delve into the context within which news articles are developed, highlighting who is interviewed and who is not, while also examining what aspects are exaggerated, ignored or relegated to the background.
Engine searches between January and December 2022 gathered 428 materials from 22 media outlets, offering a significant glimpse into the landscape of LGBTIQ+ coverage in the national press.
QueeRadar’s analysis showed that 330 news items, or 77.10%, covering LGBTIQ+ contained inherent bias, while only 98, or 22.90%, was neutral.
Detailed research can be viewed HERE.
