Islam i brittiska nyhetsmedier : en litteraturstudie av medialisering och representation

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a literature study regarding how the British media represents Islam and Muslims. On the basis of a selection of material that consists of relevant literature regarding the subject, my aim is to outline how Islam and Muslims are represented according to this literature, and what changes in time have taken place. The results will also be interpreted through a mediatization theory as well as a representation theory. A literature study means that the material is secondary, in this case previous quantitative studies. All studies chosen have examined the British media representation on Islam during specific years, and presented results that are necessary for me to conduct my study. The result of the study shows that British media represents Islam in an unfavourable and discriminating way during the years that were examined in the studies, and that occurrences related to Islam have changed in the media over time. Discourses used in relation to Islam have changed and the framework that surrounds Islam as a subject becomes narrower. Associations between Islam and more extreme Islamic movements become more obvious. The articulation that British Muslims are a threat to the British society is also growing over time. Framing the results through Stig Hjarvards theories on mediatization show that British news media have a consistently narrow framework on the topic of Islam and Muslims in everyday news, and that religious institutions have difficulties presenting their different views since those, according to the news media, don’t fit in. The theories on representation show that British news medias association between Islam and negative subjects can help to create a consistent negative approach to the subject