The Canadian Islamic Congress today released its sixth annual media-watch study of major Canadian newspapers, based on research gathered throughout 2003; and for the fourth year in a row, the National Post was ranked as worst offender for its persistent use of anti-Islam terminology.

From 1998 (the year Anti-Islam in the Media was launched) until September 11, 2001, CIC media research showed a modest average annual reduction of 17% in the use of anti-Islam language and terminology. Following that watershed date, however, and continuing during 2002, the data gathered revealed a substantial reversal of this trend. By 2003, the level of anti-Islam occurring in the Canadian media had returned to pre-9/11 levels.

The CIC's Anti-Islam in the Media research project received a 2003 Award of Honour from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and has been consistently praised by academic experts in the fields of media and communications, race relations and religious studies.

This annual study presents a methodical and carefully documented assessment of the use of anti-Islam terminology by a strong cross-section of Canadian media, focusing particularly on print journalism. CIC's original and ongoing mandate has been to draw public and professional attention to the use and misuse of terms such as: "Islamic-inspired terrorist attacks," "murderous Islamic militant," "Islamic terrorist," "Muslim militant," etc.

The study covers news and views published by eight of Canada's top-circulation daily newspapers -- the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Free Press, and La Presse. For 2003, however, the study did not rank the Toronto Sun and Winnipeg Free Press, due to their lower levels of international news coverage.

As in several previous studies, the National Post scored 100 points -- the maximum possible in the survey's ranking system -- for its recurrent use of anti-Islam language and terminology. It has been the only paper in Canada to do so. The Reuters news service recently criticized CanWest Global (The Post's parent corporation) for its editorial policy of inserting the word "terrorist" into its news stories selected for print by CanWest editorial staff. However, The most news items with anti-Islam language were written by Stewart Bell of the National Post, followed by staff writers of the Associated Press and Reuters.

In 2002, a pilot broadcast media research project examined televised anti-Islam usage over 60 days. Three Canadian evening news "flagship" broadcasts -- from the CTV, Global, and CBC networks -- were analysed for ranking. CBC and Global scored worst for the frequency and intensity of their anti-Islam references, followed by CTV, which had the least offensive content.

In 2003 the TV news ranking period was extended to a full year and the results showed Global as the worst offender, followed by CBC. CTV was again found to be least offensive in its coverage.

Also in 2003, CIC research focused for the first time on citing the daily paper that performed most positively in its coverage of "religion in public life." That distinction went to the Ottawa Citizen. Although the Citizen does not run an exclusive religion page, it covers religion-related news stories extensively and runs a regular informative feature called "Ask the Religion Experts."

The CIC's 2003 Anti-Islam In The Media research report is now available in its entirety online at:

http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com/rr/rr_2003.php

The CIC's 2004 Anti-Islam In The Media research report will be released next month.

CONTACT:

Dr. Mohamed Elmasry

(519) 746-4107 (O)

(519) 577-2267 (Cell)

e-mail: np@canadianislamiccongress.com

Mrs. Wahida Valiante

(905) 771-1023,

e-mail: nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com

FOR FRENCH MEDIA:
Dr. Mohamed Nekili
(514) 745-1255
e-mail: mohamed.nekili@sympatico.ca

1. WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
ABOUT CIC’S MEDIA RESEARCH PROJECT

As a researcher in the area of media and diversity, and a professor at one of Canada’s leading journalism schools, .it’s safe to say that the CIC efforts over the past five years have had a real effect in getting many media outlets to ‘think twice’ about stigmatizing and stereotyping the Muslim community in words, images and story selection. While organizations representing many ethnic and religious groups have expressed concerns about media coverage, the CIC has done something about it.”

-- Prof. John Miller, director of newspaper journalism, Ryerson University

As a scholar, analyzing bias in the media for the last two decades, I believe the pioneering research of the CIC on the nature of anti-Islam bias in Canadian newspapers has been instrumental in increasing a greater awareness and sense of responsibility by many Canadian journalists and editors. It can be argued that the research and the dissemination of the findings of these studies have helped to reduce the frequency and the intensity of anti-Islam language and images. In a recent book by Frances Henry and I (University of Toronto Press, 2002), Discourses of Domination: Racial Bias in the English-Language Press, we specifically note the important contribution that the CIC has made in its careful and consistent monitoring of the press. In my classroom, I use these research findings as an educational tool in helping students identify bias in the news. As well, the CIC presents a powerful model of effective community mobilization in the search for a more responsible and non-biased media.”

-- Prof. Carol Tator, course director, York University

As you know, I have used [CIC’s] annual studies in a number of my writing and reporting classes and I have had a Montreal member of the CIC come to speak to journalism students. I also participated in an ‘Anti-Islam in the Canadian Media’ workshop staged [by the CIC] in Montreal in September, 2000. [CIC’s] work is an important way to introduce future journalists to critical research and to open their eyes to biases in the Canadian news media. As a teacher and a researcher in the journalism field, I know how hard it is to come by concrete, Canadian-based evidence to support informed criticism of the news media. [CIC] studies not only compare the treatment of Islam by a number of Canadian daily newspapers, but over time, indicate trends toward improvement or, sadly, exacerbation.”

-- Prof. Mike Gasher, Ph.D., Department of Journalism, Concordia University

As someone who worked in the media for 25 years -- and now teaches journalism to aspiring journalists -- I cannot stress too strongly how important I consider [CIC’s] work to be. I say this for several reasons:

1. The media need to be held accountable.

2. The public needs to know what is being disseminated in the ‘big picture.’

3. Educators can use this material in the classroom.

I teach a first year Journalism course to 220 students [and] use the CIC’s research study. I find it an excellent way to introduce them to the need for covering diversity in a fair and even-handed way.”

-- Prof. Lois Sweet, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University

Anti-Islamic rhetoric in the media is a serious problem since it paints adherents of a religious group with the same brush. I have read previous reports on this issue by the CIC and found them intelligent, rigorous, and useful.”

-- Prof. David Seljak, PhD, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Director, St. Jerome’s Centre for Catholic Experience, At the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario

The Canadian Islamic Congress

Anti-Islam in the Media

The Sixth Annual Report

2003

2. INTRODUCTION

Anti-Islam in the Canadian media instigates hate against a minority group. Hate also jeopardizes the mental and physical well-being of its individuals, especially those most vulnerable -- the children. Hate-mongering is against Canadian cultural values and Canadian law.

The Canadian Islamic Congress is striving to minimize anti-Islam in the media before any more of our children and youth suffer needlessly.

This is the sixth annual study released by Anti-Islam in the Canadian Media, an ongoing project conducted by the Canadian Islamic Congress. Its purpose is to evaluate coverage and to articulate CIC’s view by citing examples of the offending material. This study is not an opinion poll, but rather a reflection of what the Muslim community and CIC consider a serious problem affecting virtually every household of Muslim Canadians.

Through this study, the CIC hopes to increase the awareness of media professionals of this serious and growing problem.

3. Anti-Islam in Canadian media feeds
‘Image Distortion Disorder’

The distorted perception that Islam condones and encourages violence is largely created by the media and it leads to societal anxiety among Canadians. This is called image distortion disorder.”

Image distortion disorder is particularly dangerous in Canada, with its substantial multi-ethnic, multi-faith, and multi-cultural populations.

Among most Canadians who have not knowingly ever met a Muslim in person, there is high likelihood that their perception of Muslim Canadians will be distorted. Canadian media -- particularly the National Post in recent years -- are creating a social crisis based on the religion of one identifiable group. This national crisis manifests itself in loss of identity and self-esteem, feelings of inferiority, and even suicidal tendencies, especially among teenagers.

And image distortion disorder inevitably leads to discrimination, hate-mongering, acts of vandalism, and false accusation by authorities. Young Muslim Canadians of dark complexion, especially women with hijabs (traditional head coverings), or males with full beards, are particularly vulnerable to anxiety, fear and discrimination because of society’s perception that their religion is violent, backward, restrictive, fundamentalist, and intolerant of opposing or alternative viewpoints.

Worse still is the portrayal of Muslim Canadians as potential terrorists, posing such a serious danger” to the country, that CSIS, the RCMP and local police should target them, revoke their citizenship if they are citizens, or ship them back home” if they are not.

But the reality is that Islam is not everything the media depicts. There appears to be no balance of coverage regarding news or views related to Islam and Muslims, and very little that shows Muslims in a positive light.

Anti-Islam in the media has a devastating effect on every Canadian who cares about the well-being of this country and it insidiously undermines every effort to sustain our social and civil peace.

Treating the media’s entrenched anti-Islam disease” will not be easy, especially when publications like the National Post refuse to recognize that a problem even exists. And Canadian Muslims are not likely to own media outlets large or influential enough to counteract the toxic effect that media distortion and bias have had upon non-Muslims’ understanding of their religion.

Those of us concerned about social harmony in this country must therefore react to all distortion and bias in the media by raising our voices in protest.

Image distortion disorder is real in the Canadian media. It creeps subtly into our consciousness. Only if all of us point out and acknowledge its existence, do we begin to effectively deal with it and isolate those who live in denial, insisting that it does not exist.

The Canadian Islamic Congress

Tel (519) 746-1242, Fax (519) 746-2929

Email: cic@canadianislamiccongress.com

http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com

4. AN ANTI-ISLAM GLOSSARY.. as used by Canadian Newspapers

ENGLISH:

- Armed Islamic group

- Canadian-based Islamic extremist

- Extreme: branches of Islam

- Extremist: Islamic group, Islamic regime

- Hard-line: Islamic regime, Muslims, Muslim regime

- Global Islamic militancy

- Fanatic: Islamic

- Fundamentalist: Islamic terror, Islamic terrorist, strain of Sunni Islam

- International: Islamic extremist, Islamic movement militancy

- Islamic: dictatorship, extremist, extremist group, extremism, fighters, fundamentalist, fundamentalism, fundamentalist terrorist groups, hard-liner, -inspired terrorist attacks, insurgency, insurgent, Jihad, Jihad militant, guerrillas, militia, hard-liners, hijacker, forces militancy, militant, militant group, purists, radical, radicalism, rebel, resistance, separatists, suicide bomber, terrorist, terrorist cells, terrorist group, terrorism, violence

- Islamist: cell, terrorism, group, militancy

MEDIA COMMUNIQUÉ

1. WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT CIC’S MEDIA RESEARCH PROJECT

2. INTRODUCTION

3. Anti-Islam in Canadian media feeds ‘Image Distortion Disorder’

4. AN ANTI-ISLAM GLOSSARY.. as used by Canadian Newspapers

1. WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
ABOUT CIC’S MEDIA RESEARCH PROJECT

3. Anti-Islam in Canadian media feeds
‘Image Distortion Disorder’