How does CNN perpetuate stereotypes of Islam?
CNN was established in 1980 and has grown to inform a large collection of people around the world. Not only do they do television broadcasts but the network also supplies news stories online and participates in Twitter. In an article entitled, "Why Arab world must learn to talk about sex," (http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/opinion/egypt-opinion-sexual-spring-el-feki/index.html?iref=allsearch) author Shereen El Feki says,
"In today's Arab world, the only socially-accepted context for sex is heterosexual, family-sanctioned, religiously-approved, state-registered marriage..."
This is just one example of a statement that presents the Middle East as backward; statements that are frequent in CNN articles. Edward Said, a scholar well-known for producing writings on the Middle East, discusses this concept in his 1978 book, Orientalism. He elaborates on the dichotomy of the Orient and the Occident, showcasing how the Western world poses itself as better than other nations. The West prides itself on modernity, enforcing the standard by which other nations and peoples are expected to comply. The issue with CNN news articles, like many news sources, is that they present the Western world as superior to other nations and cultures, and very often, the Arab world and Islam. They consistently use the oppression of women as justification to intervene and condemn Islam and present it as an obstacle to democracy and progress. However, democracy and progress, like modernity, are defined by Western culture. Islamophobia leaves no room for difference in culture or nation development.
"In today's Arab world, the only socially-accepted context for sex is heterosexual, family-sanctioned, religiously-approved, state-registered marriage..."
This is just one example of a statement that presents the Middle East as backward; statements that are frequent in CNN articles. Edward Said, a scholar well-known for producing writings on the Middle East, discusses this concept in his 1978 book, Orientalism. He elaborates on the dichotomy of the Orient and the Occident, showcasing how the Western world poses itself as better than other nations. The West prides itself on modernity, enforcing the standard by which other nations and peoples are expected to comply. The issue with CNN news articles, like many news sources, is that they present the Western world as superior to other nations and cultures, and very often, the Arab world and Islam. They consistently use the oppression of women as justification to intervene and condemn Islam and present it as an obstacle to democracy and progress. However, democracy and progress, like modernity, are defined by Western culture. Islamophobia leaves no room for difference in culture or nation development.
Islam is not the enemy
News sites utilize these tropes and showcase Islam extremist acts to perpetuate stereotypes of Muslims. However, they also fail to mention how violence and gender oppression occur in the United States. The reality is that individuals commit acts of violence around the world, for different reasons.
In general, acts of violence committed by Muslim individuals are reduced to having a foundation in Islam. Acts of violence committed by individuals in the United States and Western world, however, are never explained in racialized or homogenous terms, labeling an entire race or religion as bad. Instead, these events are explained in terms of individual morality and sometimes medicalized.
So, while sources such as CNN may not produce articles with explicit hate speech against Islam, they also fail to present counter-narratives to those commonly told of Muslims, which are Islamophobic in nature. This means that people, especially younger generations, are attributing certain characteristics to the Muslim community because they are hearing the same stereotypes repeated over, and over again. There are recurring themes of Islam as promoting terrorism, Muslim men as sexist and violent, Muslim women as oppressed and subservient, and so on.
This is dangerous, knowing that most people consume news articles without thinking critically about the information. Good can come from these articles being made more accessible to the public, but we also need to engage with them in a critical fashion and seek alternate sources of information.
In general, acts of violence committed by Muslim individuals are reduced to having a foundation in Islam. Acts of violence committed by individuals in the United States and Western world, however, are never explained in racialized or homogenous terms, labeling an entire race or religion as bad. Instead, these events are explained in terms of individual morality and sometimes medicalized.
So, while sources such as CNN may not produce articles with explicit hate speech against Islam, they also fail to present counter-narratives to those commonly told of Muslims, which are Islamophobic in nature. This means that people, especially younger generations, are attributing certain characteristics to the Muslim community because they are hearing the same stereotypes repeated over, and over again. There are recurring themes of Islam as promoting terrorism, Muslim men as sexist and violent, Muslim women as oppressed and subservient, and so on.
This is dangerous, knowing that most people consume news articles without thinking critically about the information. Good can come from these articles being made more accessible to the public, but we also need to engage with them in a critical fashion and seek alternate sources of information.
CNN and the Muslim other
Even in a video interview with Deepak Chopra entitled, "Challenging Misconceptions of Islam," (viewable below) there is a sense of othering, as the broadcaster and Chopra discuss preconceived notions of Muslims in America, without actually talking to, or interviewing someone who identifies as Muslim.
In addition, they fail to dispel these stereotypes through education. They merely mention Islamophobia having roots in ignorance, but in order to end Islamophobia these stereotypes and this ignorance must be called out more directly.
Islamophobia is produced through dehumanization and othering, two processes that CNN and other online sources engage in consistently.
This is why it is so important to include first-person narratives and stories of Islam told by Muslims. Unfortunately, many of the most popular online sites do not engage with this type of information distribution.
In addition, they fail to dispel these stereotypes through education. They merely mention Islamophobia having roots in ignorance, but in order to end Islamophobia these stereotypes and this ignorance must be called out more directly.
Islamophobia is produced through dehumanization and othering, two processes that CNN and other online sources engage in consistently.
This is why it is so important to include first-person narratives and stories of Islam told by Muslims. Unfortunately, many of the most popular online sites do not engage with this type of information distribution.