MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF ISLAM AND MUSLIMS: THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY IN ‘OTHERING’ DISCOURSES

Abstract

This study investigates the discourse of “othering” in relation to geographic proximity within two leading Western print media outlets: The Wall Street Journal (United States) and The Daily Telegraph (United Kingdom). Focusing on the Escondido Mosque fire in the US and mosque attacks in Birmingham, UK, the research explores how geographic location influences the representation of Muslim communities. Using a qualitative methodology, the study applies Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to news content published within one month of each incident—March 24 to April 24, 2019, for The Wall Street Journal, and March 21 to April 21, 2019, for The Daily Telegraph. Findings indicate that The Wall Street Journal portrays Islam in a harsher and more prejudiced manner, often minimizing anti-Muslim actions and employing less critical language toward perpetrators, maintaining a uniform framing irrespective of geographic proximity. In contrast, The Daily Telegraph exhibits a nuanced differentiation among groups within the Muslim identity, with coverage patterns shaped by geographic closeness and spatial positioning relative to the newspaper’s operational base.