Topic: Islam

Deconstructing ‘the Other’—And Ourselves
‘In American eyes, moderates are the ones most like us. Those who are not are the enemy.’
By Robert Azzi

Exposing Extremism—No Matter Where It Is Found
What happens when journalists fail to separate what is evil in people from what is good in those who share their religious tradition?
By Bruce B. Lawrence

Fiction Can Be More Real Than Journalism
‘In journalism, the color gray too often comes out a muddy brown.’
By Matt Beynon Rees

Finding Ways to Bridge the Abyss of Misunderstanding
‘… to travel in ignorance when insight and understanding are possible is to drive a wedge between Islam and the West.’
By Khaled Almaeena

Glossary
By Various Sources

History, Memory and Context
‘… when a major story erupts in Lebanon, Westerners don't already have the dots by which they can make connections.’
By Iman Azzi

Islam Today: The Need to Explore Its Complexities
A scholar finds in most coverage of Muslims ‘a striking lack of clarity and an atmosphere of incomprehension that can only generate suspicion and fear.’
By Tariq Ramadan

Misperceptions of the ‘War’ in Iraq
An NBC News correspondent—with longtime experience in Iraq—describes many other visions of the war now being fought.
By Richard Engel

Reporting the Arab and Muslim Worlds
It is hard to see ‘ourselves—our actions and their consequences—in the picture.’
By Marda Dunsky

Swamp Speak: Then and Now
A former CIA officer draws on journalist Walt Kelly's experience to illustrate the value of objective, in-depth analysis in intelligence reporting and journalism.
By Ray Close

The Arab Story: The Big One Waiting to Be Told
‘How do journalists make the lives and aspirations of Arab men and women who will not succumb to criminality or terror relevant to Western audiences?’
By Rami G. Khouri

The Consequences of Uninformed Reporting
‘Most Americans think that since Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the literal word of God, they must read the Qur'an literally …’
By Jamie L. Hamilton

Understanding the Many Faces of Islamism and Jihadism
A scholar of Islam shares insights to help journalists confront the challenges involved with reporting on the political Islamic movement.
By Fawaz A. Gerges

Violence: Its Source Is Not Always What It Seems
‘... it's rare when religion alone offers an adequate explanation for conflict.’
By Griff Witte

Western Journalists Report on Egyptian Bloggers
An observer of press coverage of cases involving Arab bloggers and government pressure notices some troubling trends in whether and how stories are told.
By George Weyman

When the News Media Focus on Islam's Internal Struggles
Journalists highlight the secular Muslim vision ‘because it reflects a Western outlook that Islam needs to transform and modernize.’
By Geneive Abdo

A Master Narrative About Iran Emerges
‘… the surplus of news outlets has had the paradoxical effect of increasing our information and reducing our knowledge.’
By Ali M. Ansari

Newspapers Portray Women in Pakistan as the ‘Good’ Muslims
An analysis of news reporting and commentary in the wake of 9/11 reveals a pattern in which women's circumstances and lives served as a vehicle for a desired narrative.
By Susan Moeller

Muslims in America: Creating a New Beat
A New York Times reporter—a non-Muslim—looked for pathways into the Muslim experience and, once found, she immersed herself to tell the story.
By Andrea Elliott

Emotions Speak Through Images
An Essay in Words and Photographs
By Anja Niedringhaus

Visual Contours of Middle Eastern Life
An Essay in Words and Photographs
By Katharina Eglau

Women and Islam: Bearing Witness to Their Daily Lives
An Essay in Words and Photographs
By Alexandra Boulat

American Muslims
By Andrea Elliott

A Photojournalist Immerses Himself in the Story Being Told
An Essay in Words and Photographs
By Iason Athanasiadis

The Muslim Cartoon Controversy Exposed an Absence of Courage
‘… the continuing timidity of the American media looked increasingly like cowardice, appeasement, or better-you-than-me cynicism.’
By Doug Marlette