Shifting the dynamics in popular culture on Islamophobic media narratives:

Khairiah A Rahman

doi:10.24135/pjr.v28i1and2.1271

Khairiah A Rahman Auckland University of Technology, Tāmaki Makaurau

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v28i1and2.1271

Keywords: ACMC2021, auto ethnography, hate rhetoric, institutionalised bias, Islamophobia, media representation, mixed paradigm, New Zealand, popular culture, terrorism

Abstract

Prior to the Christchurch mosque massacres on 15 March 2019, studies on New Zealand media showed that representations of Islam and Muslims were largely negative. Muslims were depicted as terror-prone and a threat to democracy and free speech. This popular media culture of negative framing is not unique to New Zealand as global media studies show a consistent and disproportionately high negative labelling of Islam and Muslims compared with adherents of other faiths. This article focuses on the role of the government and media to shift the dynamics in popular culture in Islamophobic media narratives. A critical analysis of the actions of these powerful sectors at the Conference on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism (CTVE) in 2021 showed an opportunity to address issues management and culture competence that could change the way Muslims and Islam perceived and represented the media.

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Author Biography

Khairiah A Rahman, Auckland University of Technology, Tāmaki Makaurau

Khairiah A Rahman is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Certificate Studies at the School of Communication Studies, AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand where she lectures in intercultural communication and public relations. She is also on the advisory board of the Pacific Media Centre at AUT University. She is Vice President for Communication and the New Zealand representative for ACMC (Asian Congress for Media and Communication). Khairiah has written articles, book chapters and presented on transnational identities, crisis miscommunication, intercultural trust relationships, cultural representations and stereotypes, Islamic perspective of dialogue and persuasion, and the impact of media on culture. She has worked in both the private and public sectors with specialisations in media and communication. Her PhD research is on Islam and communication theory.

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