Market incentives drive the media to reinforce rather than challenge religious explanations of terrorism

Evidence

Europeans seemingly do not wish to acknowledge a simple but unavoidable truth—and certain politicians have found that they can ascend to power by pandering to the idea that this truth can be ignored. That truth is simply this: Muslims are not going away anytime soon. — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 561 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Yet the private Islamophobia of the media was no aberration at all in this respect, but rather an extension of the structural Islamophobia shaped and enforced by the state, which likewise built its suspicion and surveillance of Muslim Americans, like Ahmed in Minneapolis, on the slimmest pieces of evidence, overwhelmingly focusing on the religious identity and lifestyle of the actor. In the words of my younger brother Mohammed, “The more you pray, the more you’re prey.” — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 375 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The media’s attraction materially amplifies professional Islamophobes’ reach — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 493; Media framing constructs the reality audiences accept about Islam. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 497; Media frames Muslim terrorists as religion-driven simpletons while psychologizing non-Muslim perpetrators — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 506 (+16 more)

Related

• Structural media economics favor religious explanations over complex political ones (similarity 0.86)
• Private media Islamophobia extends rather than deviates from state structural Islamophobia (similarity 0.84)
• Islamophobia operates as a marketable commodity across media forms (similarity 0.84)
• The media’s attraction materially amplifies professional Islamophobes’ reach (similarity 0.84)
• Media and state both profit from perpetuating the Islam-violence association. (similarity 0.84)
• Media coverage of Muslim violence superficially supports an Islam-violence link (similarity 0.83)
• Both media and state profit from keeping Islam and violence linked (similarity 0.83)
• Media frames Muslim terrorists as religion-driven simpletons while psychologizing non-Muslim perpetrators (similarity 0.82)
• Media economics discourage the complex reporting that would undermine religious explanations of terror (similarity 0.82)
• Media and state mutually reinforce Islam-violence associations for distinct functional reasons (similarity 0.82)
• The media codes only certain groups’ violence as religiously motivated (similarity 0.81)
• Media and political elites profit from stoking anti-Muslim fears (similarity 0.81)
• Media framing shapes American attitudes toward Islam and jihad (similarity 0.81)
• Disproportionate media coverage reifies fear and mistrust of Muslims (similarity 0.80)
• Media framing constructs the reality audiences accept about Islam. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Media and state mutually reinforce Islam-violence associations for distinct functional reasons #expands (0.70)
• Anti-Muslim pandering profits while ignoring the permanence of European Muslims #exemplifies (0.65) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 561
• Private media Islamophobia extends rather than deviates from state structural Islamophobia #expands (0.55) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 375