Media: Harmful Impact of Stigmatizing Language

Media often remain silent on harmful impact of religious persecution and discriminate against unpopular groups by calling them “cults”

The Fragile Balance of Press Freedom and Religious Liberty

The Harmful Impact of the Stigmatizing Language

Part 1 of an article by Peter Zoehrer, journalist and Executive Director of FOREF Europe, originally published 7th May 2025 by Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF), republished 9th May 2025 by Human Rights Without Frontiers, and by Bitter Winter on 16th May 2025. 

See part 2: Media as Weapon: Deadly Echoes of Bias on Air

See part 3: After the N-Word: Is “Cult” Next Term to Be Banned?

On World Press Freedom Day, on 3^rd May, we celebrate journalism’s role in holding power to account and amplifying the voices of the vulnerable. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) enshrines freedom of expression as a pillar of democracy. But this freedom is not without consequence. When media outlets stigmatize religious minorities, they don’t just shape narratives – they shape realities.

The right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), protected under Article 18 of the UDHR, is not in tension with press freedom – it is bound to it. When one is compromised, both suffer.

Across democratic societies, peaceful faith communities are increasingly targeted not by the state alone, but by a media culture that recycles old prejudices in new packaging. Labels like “Sekte” (in German, and similar expressions in languages other than English) or “cult” – lacking legal or academic definition – are used to delegitimize entire belief systems. These terms carry historical weight and modern danger: they incite fear, provoke hostility, and open the door to discrimination, violence, and even legal erasure.

Austria: When a Broadcaster Crosses the Line

One recent example in Austria reveals how public broadcasting can blur the line between journalism and defamation. In a 2-minute-13-second report, ORF Mittagsjournal – Austria’s national broadcaster – used the word “Sekte” (cult) twelve times to describe the Unification Church, a legally recognized faith community under Austrian law with no record of misconduct. Its members contribute to society through peacebuilding, education, and interfaith dialogue.

ORF justified its language by citing a Japanese court ruling dissolving a related group over alleged civil violations. But it omitted critical facts: that the Church is protected under Austrian law; that no wrongdoing has been reported locally; and that the Japanese decision has been condemned by leading international human rights advocates. Among them are participants of the IRF Roundtable, Human Rights Without Frontiers, and speakers at the IRF Summit 2025, all of whom see the ruling as a violation of international FoRB standards.

Austria’s 1998 Recognition Act guarantees equal protection to recognized religious communities. By ignoring this and repeating stigmatizing language, ORF helped legitimize prejudice. A Church spokesperson formally requested a correction – none was issued. Such reporting doesn’t just misinform; it emboldens hate. In neighboring Germany, neo-Nazi extremists recently attacked Hare Krishna devotees – violence fueled by decades of media framing minority faiths as dangerous “cults”.

A European pattern

Austria is not alone. In Germany, state and media actors have long labeled groups like Scientology and others as “anti-democratic” without judicial basis. These designations have led to surveillance, job loss, and social ostracism.

In France, the discredited 1995 Parliamentary Report on Sects listed 172 groups – from Christian Scientists to Antoinists – as threats to public order, despite no criminal evidence.

Today, MIVILUDES, the state’s anti-cult task force, continues to issue alerts that the media repeat without question, shaping both public sentiment and policy.

These terms have no legal precision – yet they carry devastating weight. Despite multiple rulings by the European Court of Human Rights affirming the rights of minority religions, stigmatizing labels remain embedded in public discourse.

Continued in part 2

See part 2: Media as Weapon: Deadly Echoes of Bias on Air

See part 3: After the N-Word: Is “Cult” Next Term to Be Banned?

Featured image above: Facsimile of alarmist article (1982) using the word “Sekten” (cults) in an Austrian weekly. Photo: Bitter Winter

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