CNN's Satanic Verses

Paper Summary:

A look at how the American media perpetuate stereotypical images of Islam and Muslims. This paper deals with the use of language, word associations, and coding within. It discusses the lack of authentic voices and asks how the media in a "free" society manages to perpetuate stereotypes. It looks at Western society's perception of Islam and how this is influenced by and influences the media's attitude.

From the Paper:

" "Catholics convicted in terrorist attack." ?Presbyterians take their faith in their false God more seriously than we take our faith in the true God.? ?We should invade their Jewish countries, kill their leaders, and convert them.? Surprised? Well, substitute "Moslems" for "Catholics" and ?Presbyterians,? and substitute "Moslem" for ?Jewish,? and you have actual statements made in the mainstream American media. For all the supposed freedom, objectivity, and honesty that the press prides itself on, the American media is generally supportive of a double standard in its treatment of Islam, allowing things to be said about Moslems that would never be allowed about other groups. As a whole, mainstream media is a virtual cornucopia of negative connotations and condemnations of Islam and Moslems. From terrorists to third-world ?losers,? (as opposed to the ?winners,? us,) Moslems around the world are portrayed in many negative ways without clarification or context."

More papers on CNN's Satanic Verses:

• Analytical Essay # 47 : "Literature Analysis: Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses"
• Essay # 71472 : "Bias in Broadcast Journalism: CNN and Fox News "
• Comparison Essay # 117922 : "CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera News Coverage"

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