Overview of this campaign

1. Expose the Scale of Xenophobia within the AfD
   The campaign aims to reveal the extent and evolution of xenophobic rhetoric in German state parliaments, demonstrating how the AfD has pushed the boundaries of acceptable discourse over a decade.

2. Enable Transparency and Public Access
   By creating an interactive database, the project allows citizens and researchers to analyze 340,000 paragraphs of AfD speeches, providing direct insight into the narratives and contexts where xenophobia is propagated.

3. Promote Public Awareness and Accountability
   The campaign seeks to inform the public and hold the AfD accountable for their long-term agenda, especially in light of the shocking revelations about secret meetings in Potsdam.

4. Leverage Technology for Social Impact
   Using advanced language models, topic modeling, and data analysis, the initiative highlights how technology can uncover patterns of harmful rhetoric and support investigative journalism.

5. Facilitate Ongoing Research and Updates
   The project ensures the database remains relevant through regular updates, supported by automation and partnerships with research institutions like Freie Universität Berlin.

These objectives work together to shed light on the AfD's strategies while empowering the public with accessible data and insights.

Results for this campaign

 

1. Comprehensive Analysis of AfD Speeches
   The campaign analyzed 340,000 paragraphs and over 15.8 million words from AfD speeches in German state parliaments since 2014. This revealed how the party systematically paves the way for xenophobia within democratic institutions.

2. Interactive and Publicly Accessible Tools
   Two interactive tools were launched to make the data available to the public:

   • AfD speech analysis tool
   • Narratives and context analysis
     These tools allow users to explore the data and understand the context and content of xenophobic narratives.

3. Revealing the Evolution of Xenophobic Rhetoric
   The analysis demonstrated that AfD's xenophobic rhetoric is not new but has been strategically developed and normalized over ten years, influencing public discourse through democratic platforms.

4. Innovative Use of Technology
   By leveraging language models and data analysis, the project automated the detection of xenophobic content and highlighted key narratives, making complex research more accessible and actionable.

5. Successful Collaboration
   The campaign was supported by a multidisciplinary team from Tagesspiegel Innovation Lab and researchers from Freie Universität Berlin, combining journalism, data science, and academic expertise.

6. Launch Date and Reach
   The tools were officially launched on August 30, 2024.
   25.000 pageviews
   Hundreds of shares and vivid discussions on social media

These results showcase how data journalism and innovative storytelling can tackle critical societal issues effectively.

Contact

To contact a company representative about this campaign, click here for the INMA Member Directory