Dennis Mitzner criticized Timo Stewart for the fact that Yle interviewed him in a news story about the war in Gaza just a day after Stewart's column was published. Mitzner saw this as an example of Stewart shifting from being a Yle columnist to being an outside researcher interviewed by the media in less than twenty-four hours. According to Mitzner, Stewart spoke in favor of open discussion and opposed the idea that hate speech should silence others. Mitzner found this position contradictory because, in his opinion, Stewart had long avoided debates on X where he and other researchers could have been directly challenged. He also claimed that the responses of researchers to critical citizens had not been convincing. Mitzner criticized Yle and Hesari journalists for allegedly supporting Stewart's message in sympathetic interviews where he was not challenged. He argued that Stewart warned against silencing discussion while avoiding situations where someone could question his views, and presented potential critics as a threat to free discussion. #keskustelu #vihakieli #mediakritiikki (translated)
