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Constructing ‘suspect’ communities and Britishness: mapping British press coverage of Irish and Muslim communities, 1974–2007

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 16:37 authored by Henri Nickels, Lyn Thomas, Mary Hickman, Sara Silvestri
There exist many parallels between the experiences of Irish communities in Britain in the past and those of Muslim communities today. However, although they have both been the subject of negative stereotyping, intelligence profiling, wrongful arrest and prejudice, little research has been carried out comparing how these communities are represented in the media. This article addresses this gap by mapping British press coverage of events involving Irish and Muslim communities that occurred between 1974 and 2007. The analysis shows that both sets of communities have been represented as ‘suspect’ to different degrees, which the article attributes to varying perceptions within the press as to the nature of the threat Irish and Muslim communities are thought to pose to Britain. The article concludes that a central concern of the press lies with defending its own constructions of Britishness against perceived extremists, and against abuses of power and authority by the state security apparatus.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

European Journal of Communication

ISSN

0267-3231

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Issue

2

Volume

27

Page range

135-151

Department affiliated with

  • Media and Film Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-01-20

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2014-02-22

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2014-01-19

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