The Power of the Press and How 9/11 Has Ostracized Muslims

The psychology behind how the public views Islam/Muslims has been cemented by the 9/11 attacks. The press has granted this catastrophe as the sole definition of terrorism, which it was an act of terrorism, but at the same time, the press never labels any another act of violence against a mass majority (not committed by a Muslim) as terrorism. Given the recent attack in Las Vegas, where a white man shot 58 people dead and injured 500+, the media has not treated it as an act of terrorism and it's only defense is that the shooter had no 'political gain'. Instead, the press is using its power by making this man “relatable” and humanizing him by giving headlines like stating the shooter lived a “quiet life” before the shooting and loved “country music and gambling”. The media ultimately has the power to mitigate the seriousness of the matter on white privilege and need for stricter gun laws.

However, with the use of Twitter, many are denouncing this attack as an act of terror and encourage others to recognize it as well.

Since 9/11, anytime a brown person commits an act of terror is the only time the media uses the word terrorism. This conditions viewers to encourage racist perspectives for ALL brown people, as innocent Muslims face an unwarranted backlash. Because of how media portrays Muslims only being capable of being a terrorist, has hindered the idea that all Muslims are to be wary of. This has been evident in Trump’s Muslim Ban, which is undergoing a second take; however, since he has been President more Americans have been killed in attacks by white American men with no connection to Islam than by Muslim terrorists or foreigners.

Another way that media has negatively affected the portrayal of Muslims, is how people are now denying refugees from Muslim countries (from countries that have not committed a terror attack in the US).

Being a Muslim ostracizes you in different public atmospheres. For example, two summers ago my family and I went to Turkey and on our flight back through Amsterdam, we were “randomly selected”. Because we had Muslim names and went to Turkey, we were put on a “Red Flag Zone”, right underneath possible terrorists. It was frustrating to be singled out during security check-in, and have your stuff be carefully looked through and be patted down head to toe in front of everyone. We got treated like possible criminals.

Therefore, the power of the press has an extreme effect on social institutions/hierarchy (institutionalized racism), as Muslims all over the world are dehumanized because people who are not Muslim committed a terror attack. The power of the press has nurtured the idea that all Muslims are essentially a threat because of ISIS.