DELIAH: Democratic Literacy and Humour

Democratic Literacy and Humour (DELIAH) examines the multifaceted role of humour in artistic forms, cultural spaces, and online and offline fora, identifying how humour can either support or undermine democratic participation and processes in Europe. DELIAH has two main goals:

1. To transform existing research on the adverse effects of anti-democratic speech, which is particularly prevalent in “humorous” forms in online platforms, into actionable policies, toolkits, and educational resources to mitigate the negative consequences of such anti-democratic speech. Such practical approaches will in turn enhance what we call “democratic literacy”: i.e., the capacity among EU citizens and regulators to discern the anti-democratic implications of certain forms of hateful speech or disparaging humour.

2. To conduct fundamental research into humorous 'counter-speech,' which will allow DELIAH to develop and promote humour strategies that confront anti-democratic rhetoric, hate speech, and discriminatory content, thus establishing 'best practices' for using humour as a tool to counteract anti-democratic speech and thereby foster broader and more meaningful participation in democratic processes.

DELIAH therefore recognizes humour’s dual potential. First, DELIAH investigates how humour can be misused to support anti-democratic agendas and, in response, offers strategies to boost awareness, regulate content, and mitigate harm. Second, and simultaneously, DELIAH harnesses humour’s positive role in countering such rhetoric, advocating for practices that encourage active and healthy democratic engagement. In sum, DELIAH is dedicated to exploring and establishing the delicate balance between humour’s potential to harm and its capacity to heal in a democratic context, aiming to cultivate a more informed, resilient, and participatory democratic society in Europe.