Repeated terrorist imagery on TV normalizes anti-Muslim prejudice

Evidence

In 2004 the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) accused the TV drama 24 of perpetuating stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims. CAIR objected to the persistent portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in the context of terrorism, stating that “repeated association of acts of terrorism with Islam will only serve to increase anti-Muslim prejudice.” CAIR’s critics have retorted that programs like 24 are cutting edge, reflecting one of the most pressing social and political issues of the moment, the War on Terror. Some critics further contend that CAIR is trying to deflect the reality of Muslim terrorism by confining television writers to politically correct themes. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 122

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s broader theme of media representation politics and how repeated association shapes public perception — resonates with work on framing and cultural priming. — connects to: Media imagery drives public bias against Muslims and Arabs — Sahar F. Aziz, Sticks and Stones, the Words That Hurt:…, 74
• QUESTION: Empirically, does repeated association of a group with a crime actually increase prejudice measurably, or is this a claim taken on faith by both sides?