Meanings of Integration in the Australian Press Coverage of Muslims: Implications for Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Abstract

This article uses a framing perspective to analyse the Australian press coverage of Muslim Australians with regard to the issue of their integration into Australian society. Taking a qualitative approach, this study is based on analysis of articles published in The Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Courier-Mail in alternate years from 2002 to 2010. Of particular focus are the themes and definitions associated with integration that arise in the context of the coverage. The study finds the coverage of Muslim integration to contain both favourable and pejorative representations of Muslims. However, the coverage tends to focus on certain themes that represent only a minority of Muslims, such as radicalisation and terrorism. Muslim integration also features as central to debates concerning multiculturalism, Australian values and the citizenship test. The coverage uses narrow definitions of integration that are based mainly on cultural indicators rather than other definitions prevalent in the scholarly literature on integration, such as economic, political and broader social indicators. Overall, the article suggests that these limitations to the coverage have the potential to impact on public perceptions of social inclusion and exclusion in relation to Muslim Australians.

Media coverage of refugees and asylum seekers in regional Australia: a critical discourse analysis

“…The general public tends to rely on news media for information about asylum seekers; in turn, the media’s framing of these issues, by selecting events, opinions, facts, images and information, shapes audience responses, encouraging ‘particular interpretations or understanding of issues’ and reflecting, increasing and influencing prejudicial attitudes (Hodgetts and Chamberlain, 2013; McHugh-Dillon, 2015; Rane and Hersi, 2011: 138). Through shaping and amplifying public attitudes, the media has an impact on policy outcomes by influencing government considerations and communication of issues (Branton and Dunaway, 2008; Hericourt and Spielvogel, 2012).…”

Mediated Islamophobia and Local Coexistence: A Case Study of Two Muslim‐Concentration Suburbs in Melbourne, Australia

“…(2015) reported that almost 80 percent of survey participants (a cross section of the Australian population) expressed the view that media portrayals of Muslims in Australia were unfair, and the same proportion of respondents thought that media reports impacted on non‐Muslims’ views of Muslims. A study of 290 newspaper articles over a ten‐year period, conducted by Rane and Hersi (2012), found that Australian media coverage framed Muslims mostly in terms of “radicalization” and terrorism and that their integration was usually juxtaposed with concepts such as “Australian values,” “citizenship” and “extremism.” Biased portrayals of their community and/or religion led Muslims to mistrust and fear media coverage, and to feel angry about misrepresentation and stigmatization of Islam and Muslims (Cherney and Murphy 2016; Ewart, Pearson, and Healy 2016).…”

20201218

“…There in an overwhelming concern regarding the media, as it is not viewed as trustworthy (Rane & Hersi, 2012). There has been a large number of negative stories about Muslims in the media since 2000; This is a consequence of tragic events, such as a gang rape of woman in Sydney by Muslim men, insensitive comments by someone claiming to be a Muslim leader, and the Cronulla riots (Bouma, 2011;Dunn, Klocher, & Salabey, 2007); media reports on Muslims have similarly worsened after international and national terror attacks.…”