Simulated stereotypes turning the unreal real: An analysis of representations of the 'Other' in traditional media forms and digital games

We live in a world in which we constantly interact with distant cultures through media forms. The media, as the name implies, does not provide a direct link to these different cultures but barely mediates this interaction by presenting constructions of these cultures. This article explores the representation of Muslims in traditional and digital media forms. Specifically the representation of Muslims in two contemporary image constructors, news and games, is explored as well as the corresponding interconnectedness of these representations. Whilst there has been previous research into the representation of Muslims in news and similarly in video games, none compare and contrast the representational methods of these two image constructors in the way this article does. This article performs a comparative study of Muslim representation in these two seemingly unconnected forms towards the goal of identifying similarities and differences of representation using Muslims as a case study