The voiced and the voiceless: the effects of their portrayal in the media on the consciousness of Muslim youth post 9/11 in the United States

In the era following 9/11, Islam has become a target of discrimination and bigotry, and it is often misconstrued in the media and vilified by news members and political leaders. The mass media often negatively portrays Muslims as 'terrorists' and 'extremists' and Muslims are grouped, without will, into this category of being 'evil' and 'strange.' This portrayal may lead to an internalization of the negative stereotypes prevalent in the media and an eroding of Muslim American youth's identity. Although some research has been done on the effects that post-9/11 media have had on the identity of Muslim youth, little research has yet been done on whether the mass media has specifically affected the identity formation of Muslim youth in America and how Muslim American youth's mass media navigation is influenced by their portrayal therein. This research has addressed this need through a qualitative study, with a focus on interviews conducted with Muslim high school students. The results from this study found that Muslim American youth are conscious of the negative stereotypes in the news media; however, the core of their identity is not greatly affected for they interact positively on a daily basis with social media. Muslim American youth identified that they are creating their unique stories. While the news media perpetuates othering and white supremacy, participants noticed that social media is a platform that they are able to find positive influences and interact with like-minded individuals to strengthen their identity. Participants concluded that it is imperative for one to become active and positive participants in their society in order to combat negative news media portrayals. The results of this study have shown that there is a need for critical media literacy to exist in our schools in order to educate people on different religions and beliefs.