Discourse Analysis and Media Attitudes: The Representation of Islam in the British Press

Is the British press prejudiced against Muslims? In what ways can prejudice be explicit or subtle? This book uses a detailed analysis of over 140 million words of newspaper articles on Muslims and Islam, combining corpus linguistics and discourse analysis methods to produce an objective picture of media attitudes. The authors analyse representations around frequently cited topics such as Muslim women who wear the veil and 'hate preachers'. The analysis is self-reflexive and multidisciplinary, incorporating research on journalistic practices, readership patterns and attitude surveys to answer questions which include: what do journalists mean when they use phrases like 'devout Muslim' and how did the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks affect press reporting? This is a stimulating and unique book for those working in fields of discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, while clear explanations of linguistic terminology make it valuable to those in the fields of politics, media studies, journalism and Islamic studies.

Paul Baker is Professor of English Language in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University.

Costas Gabrielatos is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University.

Tony McEnery is Professor of English Language and Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University.