PressEthic

The media has an absolute power to color and characterize public views on all issues ranging from the war in Iraq to Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, it has historically used this power to influence the public on religion, in particular, Muslims and Islam. We Americans already have a receptive political culture that is skeptical and ambivalent about the unfamiliar “others.” The danger becomes apparent when the media abandons its principle of fair and accurate reporting, and society accepts what journalists have to say. Take Michael Graham, a Washington based radio host, who was fired in late August 2005 for his vilification of Muslims in several of his morning shows. Or the Fox TV hit, 24, that features a fictional Muslim family planning to kidnap the Secretary of Defense. “Islamphobia” is not a new product of the media; rather it is a phenomenon that has prevailed in media history and has intensified in our post 9/11 world.

We cannot only blame ignorance for the misrepresentations of Muslims in the media. We need to look at what passes for knowledge. The public relies on the media and its “experts” to inform us on realties of people from around the world. TV Writers, producers, and journalists have helped us form our notions on people from other parts of the world. Unfortunately, because some of these “experts” are so ill informed, they have aided us in becoming prisoners of our own cultural assumptions.

Responsible media experts are what we need to produce. They are patient people that seek out information from both sides. After seeking out this information, they foster it for a better understanding of the issue at hand, and therefore create a more informed, and objective piece of journalism. They become the experts we rely on to help members of society understand one other. Religion is playing an increasingly important role in the world today, and so it is crucial that journalists have a strong grasp of different faiths that surround us and portray them for what they truly are.