Everyone is entitled to hold an opinion. Article 10 of the Human Rights Act (1998) says: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.”

We have a right to express our opinion but we also have a responsibility not to humiliate, degrade, and discriminate against another person.

This week you may have heard a particularly shocking opinion from Janice, a caller to the BBC’s Nolan Show, who said that she would “rather die” than be treated by a Muslim doctor.

The Belfast Telegraph is asking whether or not Stephen Nolan was right to air Janice’s point of view.

In this blog I do not wish to focus on Janice’s opinion itself, but I do want to comment on what might be shaping her opinion.

“Muslims are taking over the country and turning us all into Muslims,” says Janice.

“And where have you got this information from?” asked Stephen Nolan. “The media, Stephen,” Janice replied.

Media outlets don’t exactly say it so directly or explicitly, but some feed prejudice and breed mistrust against those who are ‘different’.

Janice traced her opinion to the media. She cited the Daily Mail the Express, as well as “programmes on the TV.”

The media serves a vital purpose: to provide us with information about political and social issues, to provide entertainment, and to provide news on local and international events. It informs us about what’s going on in the world.

As consumers of information, however, we aren’t always looking for facts and evidence. Do we even still believe in facts and evidence? Do media outlets try carefully distinguish between facts and evidence on the one hand, and convenient narratives on the other?

It is through information in the media that we create our own opinions, and opinions in turn create beliefs that are based on emotions. They might have little connection to reason or evidence, but we judge our beliefs as true.

Political campaigns and media outlets very much play on our emotions to make us react. And reaction is good.

But when opinions and information create anger and discrimination towards one specific group of people only because of their religious, national or sexual background, media and political campaigns must also take responsibility.

Freedom of speech is a treasured right that sits alongside other core human rights. We must be ever vigilant of the abuse of freedom of speech that creates the conditions for other such rights to be violated.