Journalists act as arbitrators whose judgements shape how Muslims get represented.

Evidence

Journalists often sit as arbitrators amongst the multiple representations on offer, making sense of conflicting accounts and how a story should be framed (Said, 1997). Yet little is known about how journalistic practices and judgements contribute to the production of negative Muslim representations in media discourse. — Nadia Haq, ‘The National Media Just Sees Muslims…, 8

Categorization

• QUESTION: What editorial and personal pressures actually tip a journalist’s framing decisions toward negative portrayals?