Collateral damage control

The case for changing how we report on Muslims—and a guide for how to do it.

Chantelle Bringas
Aug 26, 2017 · 2 min read

Mainstream news reporting is harming Muslims, former journalist and academic Jacqui Ewart told a room full of journalists at the Walkley Foundation’s Brisbane Storyology event.

Jacqui Ewart has been working on some constructive tips for the media’s coverage of Muslims. Tim Marshall/The Walkley Foundation

“Muslims are getting the lion’s share of media coverage, whilst only committing a small account of the world’s terrorism attacks,” Ewart said.

“If religion is not a factor in a story, don’t include it.”

The Griffith University associate professor leads the award-winning Reporting Islam project, which produces training packages for journalists.

The packages include handbooks and factsheets about avoiding stereotyping Muslim people, and not relying too heavily on too few sources from within the community for stories.

“You do have to report these stories,” Ewart says. “You can’t censor yourself.”

“But it is the way you report these stories that can actually make a difference to the way people on the receiving end are feeling and acting.”

Ewart said she had been “overwhelmed” with messages of support for the project from both mainstream media organisations.

She said some universities were now also integrating the packages into their journalism programs.

The crowd at Ewart’s talk. Tim Marshall/The Walkley Foundation

Inside the Australia and New Zealand media – stories by and for journalists.

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Chantelle Bringas

Written by

The Walkley Magazine

Inside the Australia and New Zealand media – stories by and for journalists.

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