THE IMAGE OF ISLAM IN GERMAN MEDIA

Authors : Orhan Gökçe, Thomas Brüsemeister

Pages : 335-371

Doi:10.58375/sde.1732815

View : 30 | Download : 67

Publication Date : 2025-09-22

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Surveys indicate that the German public perceives the presence of Islam and Muslims within the country as a threat to social purity and cultural and religious heritage. Myriad studies have also demonstrated that this biased attitude is increasingly prevalent. The media plays a significant role in shaping and perpetuating these negative perceptions, as well as in reproducing and normalizing Islamophobic and anti-Muslim racist discourses, given that it serves as the primary source of information for many. Due to the media\\\'s crucial influence on Western societies, this article investigates the thematic contexts in which Islam and Muslims are represented and the knowledge production mechanisms preferred by Western media in reporting on Islam and Muslims. To this end, a content analysis is conducted on reports related to Islam published in five leading German newspapers between 2021 and 2022. The findings reveal that Islam and Muslims in German media are framed primarily through narratives of wars and conflicts in Islamic regions, as well as terrorist incidents conducted in the West with Islamic references. Moreover, the media discourse on Islam is constructed using negative clichés and stereotypes, such as radical, reactionary, fundamentalist, militant, violent, oppressive, dangerous, defiant towards the West, and intolerant, alongside racist narratives.
Keywords : İslam, Medya, Algı, İslamofobi, İslam haberciliği

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