Muslims, Minorities, and the Media: Discourses on Islam in the West

Description

Inspired by overtly negative coverage by the Western mainstream press of Muslims in particular, and minorities in general, this book asks: Why are negative narratives and depictions of Muslims and other minorities so hard to change? News reports about Islam and Muslims commonly relate stories that discuss terrorism, violence or other unwelcome or irrational behaviour, or the lack of integration and compatibility of Muslims and Islam with Western values and society. Yet there is little research done on how studies on media reports about minorities seemingly fail to improve the situation. Combining empirical research with a structural analysis of the media industry, this volume presents evidence for the maligned representation of minorities by media corporations, analysing why negative narratives persist and outlining how these can be effectively transformed. It is an outstanding resource for students and scholars of media, religion, culture, sociology, and Islamic studies, and is also of benefit for journalists, media representatives, and activists looking to effect change for minority representation in the media industry specifically or in society at large. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Abstract List of figures Introduction PART I: Media as a discursive system and how we see minorities 1. The workings of a media outlet 2. Media and communication mechanisms Media logic, form, and content Media and public communication 3. Media as a discursive institution of influence Media, construction, and reality The media and its commercial and economic implications Media, ideology, and the political 4. Minority discourses and the media PART II: Symbolic representations of minorities and how we interact with those images 5. Symbolic representations of minorities 6. The consumption of media reports Psycho-biological factors in media consumption and outgroup members 7. Hermeneutics and the negotiation of meaning in media reports PART III: Avenues for change 8. Changing psychological processes 9. Considerations for organisational change in the media sphere Organisational socialisation Media businesses vs media corporations Threat of new entrants Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of buyers Threat of substitutes Rivalry among competitors Government intervention Strategic considerations for change Concluding remarks 10. Discursive change Conclusion Bibliography Index