U.S. media's anti-Islamic slant

The United States is seen as using democracy to serve its own interests and the interests of its Middle Eastern allies, but not the people's. For example, the United States provides political and military support to Israel, despite many of its policies running counter to its own values.

After the end of imperialism in the early 20th century, attitudes in the Muslim world changed. People turned to religion as a way of rejecting and defying the policies of the West that their governments had been forced to implement for so long. Governments that continued to support those policies favourable to the West were seen as imperialist allies, responsible for holding the interests of foreign powers over those of their own people. Eventually, the politically oppressed began focusing their anger towards those foreign powers.

As we can see from this brief account of history, Muslim resentment for the West stems from a history of imperialism coupled with present-day Western policies that are perceived as unfair or unjust. But with the media's influence in America, many see differences in culture and religion, rather than foreign policy, as the main cause of tension and violence against the West.

According to intellectual and political activist Noam Chomsky, "the public is exposed to powerful persuasive messages from above… with leaders using the media to generate support, compliance, and just plain confusion among the public."

Polarising theories, such as Bernard Lewis's "The Roots of Muslim Rage" and Samuel Huntington's theory "The Clash of Civilizations?", are often adopted by the media and used to negatively influence people's perception of the other. Both scholars claim that "Islam is incompatible with the West". Although there are many works that promote positive images of the Muslim world, such as those by Edward Said, they are not predominant. But if highlighted, they could play a major role in shaping public perception.

The public has a tendency to simplify complex ideas and draw straightforward conclusions. The solemn duty and responsibility of the media rests in the pursuit of providing a balanced, objective lens by which the public can be informed. In the American media, it is common to present America's foreign policy and actions in the Middle East as initiatives to spread democracy and capitalism, and to maintain peace. Such simplified coverage does not promote a balanced view of either the Muslim or the American side.

~ from American media needs a new lens ~