The role of labelling bias in the portrayals of acts of 'terrorism': representations of Muslims versus non-Muslims

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West, Keon and Lloyd, Joda. 2017. The role of labelling bias in the portrayals of acts of 'terrorism': representations of Muslims versus non-Muslims. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 37(2), pp. 211-222. ISSN 1360-2004 [Article]

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2017.1345103

Abstract or Description

Several high-profile negative events involving Muslim perpetrators have recently been covered by the media. We investigated whether the same negative actions are more likely to be labeled ‘terrorism’ when they are committed by Muslims than when they are committed by White non-Muslims. In Experiment 1 (n = 60), using a real article about a Muslim perpetrator and a modified version about a non-Muslim perpetrator, we found that participants were more likely to identify a crime as terrorism when it was perpetrated by a Muslim. The label ‘terrorism’ also mediated the effect of Muslim identity on negative judgments of the behavior. In Experiment 2 (n = 60) we replicated the results of Experiment 1 and clarified that the effects persisted when we used a real article about a non-Muslim perpetrator and a modified version about a Muslim perpetrator. We discuss implications for cross-group communication and representations of Muslims in the media.

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Article

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https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2017.1345103