Latest Story
When visibility is not enough. Rising anti-queer rhetoric and attacks in South Asia
By Saba Chaudhry
For many people in South Asia, visibility still comes at a cost. In 2024, Bangladesh saw dozens of attacks against LGBTQ+ people. At least 83 people were injured in 12 incidents of physical assault, and 18 individuals were arrested by local influential groups and police forces jointly.
Additionally, 90 people were implicated in criminal cases in 21 incidents, and 41 LGBTQ+ individuals were arrested in 17 separate cases.
Activist groups warned Bangladesh had become even more dangerous for its LGBTQ+ citizens in 2025, with JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) recording 260 incidents of human rights violations affecting ...Read more
Other news
One Missed Penalty Away from Hate
June 18, 2026
LIMENet on show at DW’s Global Media Forum
June 15, 2026
How diversity is being undercut
June 10, 2026
Current Projects
ACTIVE CITIZENS: Empowering activism through the support of informal groups
ACTIVE CITIZENS: Empowering activism through the support of informal groups aims to empower citizens to actively shape and improve their local communities with the support of small grants. It focuses on strengthening up to 10 informal... Read more
Reporting Diversity Network – The New Agenda
Monitoring hate speech and empowering change in Western Balkans media The Reporting Diversity Network (RDN) debunks stereotypical, discriminatory, and hateful discourses in the Western Balkans. RDN is a group of civil society and media organisations... Read more
Who we are
Media Diversity Institute (MDI) works internationally to encourage accurate and nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnic, class, age, disability, gender and sexual identity issues in media landscapes around the world.
While our work is grounded in the principles of freedom of expression and values of diversity and inclusion, our day-to-day work focuses on cultivating practical skills to combat negative stereotypes and disinformation, improve media and information literacy, and influence the conversation on diversity and the media.
Read more about us
Where We Stand: Gender, Language and the Politics of Hate 23 February 2026 | BELvue Museum, Brussels
A one-day symposium bringing together researchers, journalists, civil society organisations and policy experts to examine how gendered hate spreads through language, media and political discourse — and how communities resist it.
Keynote speaker Shada Islam, acclaimed journalist and MDIG board member, led a programme of six panels exploring hate speech, online radicalisation, platform responsibility and European regulation. The event was organised as the closing event of the EU-funded CHASE project, with support from the King Baudouin Foundation.
guidelines, studies AND resources
Media Diversity Institute gathers the latest guidelines, studies and other resources to help journalists, academics and civil society activists integrate a diversity perspective into their work.
The Truth Frontline: Reporting War Crimes in the Age of Disinformation
Journalists and fact-checkers are invited to participate in an online training course “Learning to Counter Disinformation”, offered by The Reckoning …
Local News Matters: New Pathways for Sustainability and Community-Powe...
4 MAY 2026, BELvue Museum, Brussels Register Join Us for a One‑Day Conference Shaping the Future of Local Media in …
Engaging With the Next Generation: Youth, Media, and the Public Sphere
International Journalism Festival 2026 | Perugia – Side event Register here MDI Global is heading to Perugia for the International …
MDI Podcast
Diversity Matters is a podcast exploring why diversity matters—especially in media—at a time when it’s under attack globally. Informative and provocative, it dives into representation, inclusion, and media policies, bringing together diverse voices for critical discussions. A Media Diversity Institute production, the monthly podcast promotes accurate, nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, age, disability, gender, and identity in global media.
podcast page
What We Are Working On Now
Media Diversity Institute is working on a number of projects on the cutting edge of media and diversity issues. Check out what we are working on now.
Read moreSign up for our newsletter
Every month we send out a newsletter with our latest articles, opportunities and news in the field. Sign up to stay up to date with our latest news.
