Earlier this month Albany attended a Media Master Class workshop organised by Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development) which discussed how the rapid spread of Islamophobia in the UK post 9/11 led to growing anti-Islamic rhetoric in the press. In a study done by the Cardiff School of Media on “The Representation of British Muslims in the National Print News Media from 2000-2008” in 2000, directly before 9/11 there were 352 recorded incidents of anti-Muslim press coverage, and by 2008 there were an astounding 3,466. Today, on average, for every 21 extremist mentions of Islam in the press, there is only one moderate mention.
Muslims make up 4.8% of the UK population, and 48% of them are under the age of 24. With print media most frequently using negative vocabulary in association with Muslims, negative stereotypes are reinforced in society, and for the UK’s young Muslim population, it is an uphill battle. In a recent study Cardiff University found that the most commonly used adjectives used in association with Muslims in print media included, in order of popularity: Radical, Fanatical, Fundamentalist, Extremist, and Militant, and the most popular nouns, in order of popularity, included: Terrorist, Extremist, Cleric, Islamist, Suicide-Bomber, Convert, and Militant. Mend argued that it is vocabulary such as this that sells newspapers in the UK.
In a publishing environment where radical Islamism is newsworthy, Mend seeks to teach Muslims how to counter negative Muslim associations in the press. Through understanding press codes and knowing their rights, Muslims can write to editors in cases of unjustified misrepresentation of Islam in media.
Education and critical media consumption are crucial to countering violent extremism. The media’s negative portrayal of Islam only alienates young Muslims in Britain and reinforces Islamophobia. The best way to counter it is to empower young Muslims as a force of good by reporting the positive face of Islam in the press. Mend’s master workshop reaffirmed the important role played by strategic messaging and communications strategies in both creating and countering extremist narratives.
Albany is a strong advocate for a new approach to violent extremism. At Albany, we believe that violent extremism finds its roots in individual psychology, not ideology or religion. For more information on our CVE philosophy and case studies, please request our CVE Capabilities Statement by e-mailing jem@albanyassociates.com
Mend is a Muslim advocacy organization based in the UK which works to create change in how people perceive and understand Muslims by focusing on the portrayal of Islam in the Media as well as improving political and media advocacy at the grassroots level among British Muslims. MEND is funded 100% by British Muslim community donations with no government sector funding. For more information go to http://mend.org.uk
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Chelsea Hochstetler is an intern at Albany Associates