The effect of terrorist events on media portrayals of Islam and Muslims

Evidence fromNew York Timesheadlines, 1985-2013

Bibliographic Data

ID2147121
AuthorsE Bleich (0000-0002-0887-7013, Middlebury College, corresponding author), Hasher Nisar (0000-0002-3713-8279, Middlebury College), Rana Abdelhamid (Middlebury College)
Year2016
Volume39
Issue7
Pages1109-1127
Publication date2016-05-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnic and Racial Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-9870 • E-ISSN: 1466-4356
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01419870.2015.1103886
OpenAlexW2177385051
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited25

This article examines whether media portrayals of Islam and Muslims are overwhelmingly negative, whether they have evolved over time, and what factors most consistently affect their tone. We analyse every fourth New York Times headline about Islam or Muslims between 1985 and 2013. We find that headlines have not been predominantly negative. In addition, New York Times headlines about Islam and Muslims have become more positive over the long term, even after the 9/11 attacks. Most counter-intuitively, we find that terrorist attacks have had a systematic positive effect on headline tone. During the first four weeks after each Islamist terrorist attack on an American target, the tone of New York Times headlines became significantly more positive compared to the four weeks prior to the attack. However, over the subsequent few months, coverage reverted back toward the tone that prevailed during the weeks before the event

Advertising · Art · Headline · Islam · Literature · Media studies · Political science · Sociology · Terrorism · Tone (literature · History · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Philosophy · Religious studies · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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