The Council of Europe has labelled a Katie Hopkins column from 2015 'hate speech'
Katie is no stranger to controversy. Her calling migrants entering the UK 'cockroaches' created as furor online when it was printed in The Sun.
The European Commissioner against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published a major report on the rise of hate speech in traditional and new media since 2013.
It criticised tabloid newspapers in particular for “offensive, discriminatory and provocative terminology” about vulnerable groups.
Katie joined Gavan on The Last Word to defend her views on immigration and her right to free speech. She also criticised the London Metropolitan Police for questioning her for inciting racial hatred last year.
Irish Times Features Editor Hugh Linehan joins her to discuss why free speech should be defended. However, he says the media should be responsible when publishing opinion columns that 'play to the lowest common denominator'.
