Wearing your Weapon

26 October 2010 Media commentator Rainer Stadler reminds us in this piece that migration, Islam, violence and criminality have become the daily bread and butter for the media. Whether concerning Tony Blair’s former sister-in-law, recently converted to Islam, or the ubiquitous claims of “failed integration,” the Swiss tabloid press has become more aggressive with regard…

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Free riding with Islam Critics

28 September 2010 An old journalistic adage says: “sex sells.” These days, however, whether it’s minarets, headscarves or the Qur’an, it seems it is Islam that sells. Nonetheless, the recent news of a minaret going up in Langenthal has been handled responsibly by the press, and the picture used in most cases clearly shows the…

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Opinion column points to power of Quebec media in niqab debate

Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hébert claims that the newspapers in Québec have a profound role in shaping the current niqab debate. She argues that by the sheer nature of its size and its relative homogeneity, francophone Quebec is home to a journalism of proximity that translates into a capacity to mobilize public opinion in ways…

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Politiken journalists reject prophet drawing apology

The Danish newspaper Politiken, which has around 200 staff members, on February 26 apologized for offending Muslims with the 2008 reprint but did not apologize for reprinting the cartoon. Thirty-eight staff members of Politiken issued a letter on Saturday March 6 saying they are against the newspaper’s apology for offending Muslims by reprinting a cartoon…

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    Article analyzes coverage of Fort Hood killings

    Reporting tactics may either deliberately overstate or understate the Muslim identity of the man who opened fire at Fort Hood on November 5. This article compares American and Arabic coverage of the incident, stating that American coverage identifies him with Muslims and Islam, while Arabic coverage places it within the context of violent crime in…

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