Over 40,000 articles from 30 major outlets were reviewed, and a staggering 70% of stories associated Muslims with negative behaviour or conflict. While some of the stories were legitimate, it has become far too common to see right-wing British media skirting the line with its anti-Muslim propaganda, while even balanced organisations such as the BBC can go overboard, either due to bias or a misunderstanding of the meaning of balance.
This is most visible with Israel’s assault on Gaza, where great pains are taken to show Israeli suffering on a par with the suffering of Gazans, rather than the disproportionate reality — since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack that kicked off the current conflict, at least 81,000 Gazan civilians have been killed, compared to 800 Israeli civilians and about 1,200 soldiers and security officials. Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have been forced out of their homes by landgrabbing Israeli settlers, compared to zero displaced Israelis. Yes, there is suffering on both sides, but failure to address the imbalance — the omission of context — devalues the treatment of Muslims.
The impact of such reporting goes beyond the newsroom and onto the streets. It shapes public opinion, influences political debate and correlates directly with a rise in hate crimes, leaving British Muslims afraid in their own country. The solutions are straightforward — more Muslim voices, more context, and treating individual criminals as individuals. Implementation is simply a matter of prioritising public good over profits and divisive politics.