Studio Brief 4: Tabloid islamophobia

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pictures-white-widow-samantha-lewthwaites-2477940

In the above article, the 'white widow' is referred to as "the British Muslim Convert" instead of using her name. To me this gives off bad ideas, like she is a terrorist because she converted to Islam. It seems like a very small detail that people may not pick up on but its subtleties like this that make people think Islamophobia is completely acceptable.

On the morning of 7 October 2006 The Sun newspaper splashed a dramatic story across its front page. The story – billed as exclusive – concerned a callous and cynical crime committed by Muslims. A team of Sun reporters described in graphic detail how what the paper labelled a "Muslim hate mob" had vandalised a house near Windsor. The Sun revealed that "vile yobs hurled bricks through windows and daubed obscenities. A message on the drive spelled out in 4ft-letters: 'Fuck off '."

One Tory MP, Philip Davies, was quoted venting outrage at this act of vandalism. "If there's anybody who should fuck off," Davies was quoted as saying, "it's the Muslims who are doing this kind of thing. Police should pull out the stops to track down these vile thugs".

The Sun left its readers in no doubt as to why the outrage had been committed. Local Muslims were waging a vendetta against four British soldiers who hoped to rent the house on their return from serving their country in Afghanistan. The paper quoted an army source saying that: "these guys have done nothing but bravely serve their country – yet they can't even live where they want in their own".

But there was one very big problem with The Sun story. There was no Muslim involvement of any kind. It is true that a house had been vandalised in Montagu Road, part of the comfortable and prosperous Windsor suburb of Datchet – as The Windsor Express had reported the previous day. It also looks very likely that the attack was connected with the potential arrival of four household cavalry officers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-shameful-islamophobia-at-the-heart-of-britains-press-861096.html

The above snippet is from an Independent article, which outlines racism/islamophobia practised in The Sun. I think in recent years newspapers have actually toned down anything offensive like this, but it can still be slightly picked up on. The more important issue is how the word MUSLIM being associated with terrorism has been fed to everybody in our society through the media.