MAY - MEDIA MONITORING HIGHLIGHTS
From a trending antisemitic hashtag on Twitter in France, to a public broadcaster publishing a video inflating Islamist terrorist messages in Hungary, these May highlights are an overview of the most significant results of our monitoring of traditional and new media in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.
BELGIUM – Sceptr Publishes a Range of Sensationalist Articles Furthering their Anti-Migrant and anti-Muslim Editorial Narrative
Date of publication: various dates in May
Media outlet: Sceptr, alternative media covering news in Belgium and the Netherlands
Headline: “Immigrant stabs woman on scooter with a knife in the neck” & “Chief of police denounces impunity for illegal immigrants: "All of a sudden they are all Algerians" & “Islamic prayer call at Grote Markt Mechelen, VB plans action” & “Video: African teenage girls assault tied woman in Brussels”
Links: https://bit.ly/2X9S5oM & https://bit.ly/2X6JEdE & https://bit.ly/3guY5Qv & https://bit.ly/2Xb6hhb
Description of the anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content: In May 2020, Sceptr published several pieces of content on incidents which occurred in Belgium. On May 21st, they published an article about a young man who stabbed a woman in the neck, specifying in the headline that the man was an immigrant. On the 25th, Sceptr published a piece about an assault on a woman in Brussels which was perpetrated by teenage girls, highlighting that the girls are of African heritage. The platform also published a piece about a call to prayer which occurred in the Belgian City of Mechelen to mark the end of Ramadan. This was framed in a negative light despite explaining in the same piece that participants adhered to social distancing rules and had permission for the public prayer. Finally, Sceptr reported an attack on a police officer in Belgium, focussing largely on the immigrant backgrounds of those who committed the act.
Myth debunked: The issue here is not the actual cases covered by Sceptr – all of these news items were current and important to be covered by journalists. The problem lies in how the reporting was conducted. Time and time again Sceptr focussed on elements of the cases which were not relevant. Take the first article, which reported on a tragic stabbing of a woman. The perpetrator’s migrant background played no role in this crime, and so there is no journalistic reason for mentioning this, especially not in the headline of the piece. It begs the question: why is there so much focus on this element? We can suppose that this framing fits neatly into the narrative that migrants are dangerous and that we should not be welcoming them into our countries, a narrative we often see used in far-right circles. In a study looking at media coverage of different shootings in the United States, The Conversation found that “the media […] to cast the violent acts of white criminals as unfortunate anomalies of circumstance and illness. For black shooters (and, to a lesser extent, Latino shooters) media outlets render their crimes with a brush of inherent criminality.” If the perpetrator of this crime has been of native Belgian origin, would this have been the focus of the headline? Of course, we don’t know for sure, but based on Sceptr’s track record, and more general media narratives, we can safely assume that this would not have been the case. Sceptr seems to be constructing a clear narrative on their platform when it comes to migrants and Muslims as we can see through the several pieces published this month. The more frequently they use this negative framing and dangerous narratives and stereotypes, the more normalised it becomes for their audience.
More to read:
The media coverage of immigrant criminality: From scapegoating to populism
Race of mass shooters influences how the media cover their crimes, new study shows
UK – Katie Hopkins Given Platform on Major American Right-Wing Outlet
Date of publication: 1 May and 15 May
Author: Katie Hopkins
Media outlet: Frontpage Mag, online magazine linked to the right-wing foundation David Horowitz Freedom Center which claims to “combat the efforts of the radical left and its Islamist allies to destroy American values and disarm this country as it attempts to defend itself in a time of terror.”
Headline: “Dedicated to Emily Jones, Age 7” & “UK: Illegal Migrants are the Medicine Being Imported Into a Sickly Country”
Description of the anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content: Katie Hopkins, English media personality known for her extreme and right-leaning takes on topics like immigrants and Muslims, wrote two pieces for Frontpage Mag in May. The first was an open letter to the mother of Emily Jones, a young girl who was tragically murdered in March. Hopkins uses the case to spread anti-migrant sentiments, stating that Emily’s life “ended in one blow by a migrant woman, a stranger to you and to this land.” Hopkins further states: “We are not supposed to talk, either, about the migrant killer who hides behind her color and her mental health. She became invisible that day, like a magic act disappearing in front of our eyes, the media willfully acting as this migrant Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” In another article for Frontpage Mag, Hopkins talks about recent migrant arrivals in the UK: “"According to the government and the usual suspects, what Britain needs right now as our economy collapses and our health service runs out of cash is to import a few more problems for the country to deal with. Illegal immigrants are the medicine being imported into this sickly nation." Hopkins uses terms like “flooding” and “hordes” when referring to the migrants, who she specifically identifies as Muslim: “I always want to ask women like this about the sexual assault of young white nationals by Muslim migrants. I want her to look me, a mother, in the eye and explain what makes the rights of illegals so much greater than the rights of our own children." She ends the piece with an apocalyptic claim, blaming such immigrants for the supposed demise of the UK: “They already are in London, Luton, Leicester…this list goes on. Those complicit in our demise will deserve the horrors that brings."
Myth debunked: Katie Hopkins has been de-platformed from countless organizations in the UK for her dangerous claims and for stoking hate. In 2015, she was fired from The Sun for comparing migrants to cockroaches, followed by being let go by radio station LBC for calling for a “final solution” to the ‘migrant problem’. In 2017 Hopkins was fired from the Daily Mail, a platform known for its sensationalist reporting, and later in January of 2020 her Twitter account was suspended for violating the platforms hate speech policy. For some time Hopkins’ only real platform was her Twitter account, on which she has over 1 million followers; however, it seems she has found a new outlet in Frontpage Mag. Hopkins has a history with the David Horowitz Freedom Center. In 2017, she spoke at an event for the Center at which she stated that British people must “fight for their country”, claiming that the “Muslim mafia” ran parts of the country and referring to Sadiq Khan as the “Muslim mayor of Londonistan”. Hopkins’ track record for hate speech is clear, so why is she provided with a platform to spread these ideas time and time again? Though Frontpage Mag is linked to an American organization, Hopkins shares the content on her Twitter profile with a large UK following, many of which echo her dangerous sentiments. Being published in an online magazine like Frontpage Mag only legitimizes her ideas and sets a dangerous precedent that such ideas are acceptable and justified.
More to read:
The rise and fall of Katie Hopkins from The Apprentice to 'professional troll'
GREECE – Opinion Piece used as Vehicle for Spreading Anti-Muslim Sentiments
Date of publication: 17 May 2020
Author: Panagiotis Economou (guest contributor, not a permanent writer of the outlet)
Media outlet: Athens Voice, started as a free press (like the New York's Village Voice) and quickly became very popular. It is one of the most well-known Greek online outlets and in the past has sparked outrage for publishing controversial opinion pieces
Headline: “Female victims of rapes and violence. What's to blame?”
Link: https://bit.ly/2TMlhA9
Description of the anti-Muslim content: This article was published after the closure of the case of the rape and murder of Eleni Topaloudi, which occurred in Rhodes in November 2018. Two men were found guilty and sentenced for this crime in May 2020, which is the prompt for Economou’s piece. The author asks the questions: “What's wrong with so many crimes happening against women? The low sentences and the fact that in Greece whatever you do in a few years you are free? Or are the causes of the problem outside of justice?” He then goes on to explore a few potential reasons for femicide in Greece, like short prison sentences for perpetrators. Economou then moves on to talk about Islam: “Of course, in relation to Islam the situation is better. According to the Quran, men are the masters of women and have the right to beat them. Let's not talk about the burqa or for the forbiddance to women driving. Yet we tolerate all these in the name of religious freedom. Even when these people come to live in Europe, instead of asking them to accept and recognize human right, like gender equality, we close our eyes and we do not dare to speak because we would be considered racists.” This rant-like statement was totally unprompted; there were no Muslims involved in the tragic case of Topaloudi so it seems out of place to mention this here.
Myth debunked: Panagiotis Economou is a guest writer for Athens Voice and is a lawyer by profession. He therefore would be well-placed as an expert source for discussing the Greek legal system, and how it is perhaps failing women when it comes to femicide. However, Economou instead uses the platform to spread some ill-informed and generic claims about Islam. He refers to the religion in a very generic way and to the Quran saying that it urges men to treat women as inferiors, condemns the burqa and says that Muslim women are not allowed to drive. While there are indeed cases and places where women are not granted the same rights as men, this does not apply to all Muslims generally. It is quite common to think of Islam as a solid dogma that imposes a certain lifestyle, but this is not accurate both in practice and historically. The author also uses this platform to further the narrative that Muslims in Europe get preferential treatment and are immune to criticism, a claim we often see made in far-right circles.
The inclusion of Islam in this piece is not journalistically sound and it takes what could have been an informative opinion piece and turns it into a sensationalist piece making unfounded claims. If Athens Voice was adamant in including Islam as an element to this article, they should have at least included a Muslim source to offer their perspective on these issues.
More to read:
HUNGARY – Public Broadcaster Publishes a Video Inflating Islamist Terrorist Messages
Date of publication: 15 May 2020
Media outlet: Hirado, news programme of MTVA, the Hungarian public broadcaster.
Video: "According to ISIS, Allah is using the pandemic to punish Europe"
Link: https://bit.ly/2TKvo8z
Description of the anti-Muslim content: In the video created for Facebook but also shared on national TV and on their website, Hirado features Bianka Speidl, a senior researcher at the Migration Research Institute, talking about ISIS and Covid-19. While footage of armed Islamist militants plays on the left of the video, Speidl claims that an article in a newspaper produced by ISIS asks its followers to take advantage of the pandemic. According to Speidl, the article says that while terrorist attacks are not happening now, they should resume once Europe is further weakened by the coronavirus, as this would be the perfect time to hit. Speildl also claims that the article says that the Covid-19 is Allah's punishment for the injustices of the West.
Myth Debunked: The central issue in this news story is the unreliability of the source used. In this video piece, the only source is Bianka Speidl, a senior researcher at the Migration Research Institute (MRI). This institute is part of a project by the Századvég Foundation and the Mathias Corvinus Collegium. The first is a foundation that conducts polls on elections and issues of public concern, but also produces research and policies for the government party Fidesz. The second, is a talent development institution that operates as an education support for young people. Both are funded by the Hungarian government, though not exclusively. The two organisations created the Migration Research Institute, which serves to support the government policies and give material to the news media that do so too. The research produced by the MRI is in line with the anti-migrant and anti-Muslim government agenda. The claims in this video piece published by Hirado are anti-Muslim, in the way that they take an event and they spin it to fuel fears against Muslims. In this case, Speidl quotes an ISIS newspaper, but the name of the platform is not stated, making it impossible to check the veracity. The ISIS platform might also be very marginal, but Hirado inflates the ISIS claim to make it look as if the danger was imminent, other than amplifying a message from a terrorist group that would other not have had publicity.
More to read:
National Television Channel Promotes Xenophobic and Anti-Muslim Narrative
GERMANY – Far-Right Media Blog uses Militarised Language and Dehumanization to Push Anti-Muslim Sentiments
Date of publication: 25 May 2020
Media outlet: Journalistenwatch (JouWatch), a far-right alternative media blog in Germany focusing on anti-Muslim rhetoric and other talking points of the so-called “New” Right
Headline: “Festival of Breaking the Fast in the spirit of Islamisation: Mass Prayers in German City Centers”
Link: https://bit.ly/2MjgJx3
Description of the anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content: This article is about the Festival of Breaking the Fast (Eid al-Fitr), which Muslims around the world celebrated on the 23rd and 24th of May. This festival is often marked by a mass prayer, and this year was no different. Whilst observing social distancing regulation due to COVID-19, Muslims, including those in Germany, celebrated Eir al-Fitr through a public mass prayer. On the subject, JouWatch claims that these prayers are a sign of “Islamic expansion” and that seeing this occur in Germany, which the author refers to as the “former core country of the Christian West”, is a calculated move conducted by Muslims. “Many streets and squares were firmly in Muslim hands,” the author claims, with these individuals “claiming the ‘corona-loosened’ public space exclusively for their own religious practice – and quickly converted city centres, meadows and even supermarket parking spaces into prayer areas.” The author refers to a “worldwide strengthening of political Islam” and claims that “the really existing Islamisation is advancing and is being pushed forward year after year by eager servile promoters of Islamisation in politics and society, who, with open arms and closed eyes, approve of everything and welcome everyone.” In the piece, the author also seems to suggest the German Muslims are ungrateful: they are not “full of gratitude for the freedoms granted to them” but instead see these mass public prayer as “a gesture of triumph.” The author frames these prayers, and the associated pictures and videos, as a way for Muslims in Germany to encourage fellow Muslims abroad to immigrate to the country: “See” the author states, “the land of the infidels is as good as subjugated. So that even more [Muslims] can make their way into the promised land.” They end the piece by stating that Muslims in Germany do not see the country “as a home, but as a missioning and expansion area.” The article claimed up to 3000 interactions on Facebook according to the social media analysis tool CrowdTangle.
Myth debunked: This article uses some alarming militarised language. It reads like a battle report, with the author seemingly describing an invasion by Muslims occurring in Germany. This narrative of an invasion, mainly used when referring to Muslim migrants, is nothing new in far-right circles. 'Islamisation’ refers to the idea that “Muslims want to make Europe an Islamic society, through the imposition of Islamic legal structures, such as Shar’ia law, and Islamic social structures.” The term is often used when people object to the construction of a new mosque or open displays of Islam, such as the public prayer highlighted in this article. The term ‘Islamisation’ has an inherently negative connotation, and in this case, it is used along with claims of Muslims claiming German public spaces and expanding through the country. The article also makes a clear ‘us’ and ‘them’ distinction, painting German Muslims as not truly belonging to society, and going as far to claim that they should be grateful for being allowed to enjoy basic rights, such as freedom of religion. Such language of othering is dangerous: “Othering is not about liking or disliking someone. It is based on the conscious or unconscious assumption that a certain identified group poses a threat to the favored group.” Once this supposed threat is established, actions (such as discrimination or violence) to counter it seem justifiable. The weaponised language used in this piece stokes fears about Muslims in Germany and paints them as a danger to society. The author makes alarmist claims without any regard for journalistic principles.
More to read:
Us vs them: the sinister techniques of ‘Othering’ – and how to avoid them
Muslims in Europe: The Construction of a “Problem”
Our Casual Use of Military Jargon is Normalizing the Militarization of Society
FRANCE – “#IfIwasaJew”: Antisemitic Hashtag Trends on Twitter
Date of publication: May 2020
Media outlet: Twitter
Hashtag: #sijétaitunjuif
Link: https://bit.ly/36E8jJZ
Description of the antisemitic content: An antisemitic hashtag, #sijétaitunjuif (#ifIwasaJew), got trending on Twitter in mid-May, prompting both critical and discriminatory responses from users. Initially, only a few people retweeted and commented, but as soon as the critical responses started being posted, the hashtag gained popularity. A number of vile tweets used humour to offend Jewish people, resorting to common antisemitic stereotypes and references to the Holocaust. Many tweets, however, were from people who wanted to counter the antisemitic tweets and express solidarity towards Jewish people.
Myth Debunked: Twitter is replete with antisemitic hashtags, making fun of Nazi death camps, expressing support for genocide or violence, or claiming that Jews control the world. In this case, the hashtag #sijétaitunjuif was first disseminated with a clear antisemitic intention. The reaction of people on Twitter, horrified by the antisemitic messages, overturned the initial motive of the authors. Many, in the reactions, used irony to counter the abusive tweets posted with the hashtag. Among them, Licra, GTTO partner in France, tweeted: “the hashtag #sijetaitunjuif not only is an absolute shame, a trace of antisemitism that should lead to the blocking of its authors, but it also shows that more than hating Jews, they hate the French language”. As Licra mentioned, the hashtag contains a grammar mistake, but it is not clear if this is intentional. Twitter also promptly reacted, removing the tweets where the hashtag was used to insult Jewish people. Just a few days before the hashtag emerged, France’s parliament approved a new law that obliges social media and other websites to delete content related to terrorism or child sexual abuse within one hour, and to remove illegal hate speech within 24 hours. The proposal of the Law on Countering Online Hatred, also known as “Avia Law” from the name of the MP who drafted it, had been supported by a campaign of several French anti-racist organisations, including Licra.
More to read:
BELGIUM – 7sur7 Uncritically Reports Police Unions’ Anti-Muslim Statements
Date of publication: 8 May 2020
Media outlet: 7sur7, news outlet based in Brussels
Headline: “The anger of the police unions after the riots in Brussels: ‘Some politicians choose the side of the youth gangs’”
Links: https://bit.ly/2MdpZ5r
Description of the anti-Muslim and anti-migrant content: This article reports the statements by two police unions in Belgium, SLFP and SNPS, regarding the riots that have been happening in Brussels since April. The two unions claim that some left-wing politicians are “too permissive” and “systematically choose the side of the youth gangs”. The article uncritically reports the words by Vincent Houssin, vice-president of SLFP, who used this occasion to mention Ramadan and tell the public that the rioters are Muslims. “In these times of lockdown, certain groups of young people take to the streets to challenge the police”, Houssin said. “The prolonged Ramadan is used as a pretext for these gatherings. 99% of Muslims are good students who respect the rules, but these gangs of young people are trying to take power on the street, and they feel supported by local politicians. The police must constantly act as mediators and cannot intervene, even in the event of violence”.
Myth debunked: The vice-president of the police union has no reason to highlight the real or supposed Muslim background of the young people protesting, if not to take a stance against Muslims. The news outlet 7sur7 reports the police statements without questioning them or giving supporting information. For example, 7sur7 does not explain why Ramadan, as Houssin claims, is an excuse for Muslims to “make troubles”. This statement by the police officer is not true, but it is reproduced uncritically and is therefore presented as factual. Triggered by the death of a 19-year-old during a police chase, riots have been occurring in several neighbourhoods in Brussels since April. The reasons of the riots are various and are rooted in the structural inequality intensified by the lockdown. With very few exceptions, most of the news media have reported about the violent episodes without exploring what events and conditions gave rise to them. Furthermore, journalists often rely on statements by authorities, such as politicians and law enforcement officers, as their only sources. In doing so, they present a one-sided perspective of the story, obscuring systemic police brutality and abuses of power.
More to read:
What the media did wrong in the riots - and how to put it right
Why Are The Protestors Being Framed As The Problem? White Supremacy.
