Saturday, November 15, 2014

UK: Mehdi Hasan suggests sanctions for ‘dishonest, demonising press coverage’ of Muslims


 Mehdi Hasan

UK: Mehdi Hasan suggests sanctions for ‘dishonest, demonising press coverage’ of Muslims

http://www.blazingcatfur.ca/2014/11/14/uk-mehdi-hasan-suggests-sanctions-for-dishonest-demonising-press-coverage-of-muslims/

Misrepresentative portrayals of Muslims and other minorities will not stop unless newspapers are threatened with sanctions, Mehdi Hasan said yesterday.

The columnist and political director of the Huffington Post UK said the press has proven “singularly unable or unwilling to change the discourse, the tone or the approach” towards Muslims, immigrants and asylum seekers.

Hasan, who was speaking in a personal capacity at a media industry event hosted by Mindshare UK, said: “We’re not going to get change unless there is some sanction, there is some penalty. This is not just about Muslims; it is about all minorities.”

“Therefore you have to ask questions about: does it need to be externally imposed, either by better regulation or via some form of commercial imperative? Though, that requires a separate campaign to get companies to give a damn about this stuff,” Hasan added.

He suggested advertisers would have boycotted newspapers over the publication of certain headlines about Muslims, had they been about other minorities.

In a session titled “The Muslims are coming!”, Hasan presented to a group of media industry figures a slideshow of British newspaper headlines and front pages, which he said ostracised the Muslim community, presenting Muslims as “the other”. Hasan also highlighted the factual inaccuracy of some of the stories and accused newspapers of peddling misinformation…

Comments. though few, are unfavourable.  The guy is a real piece of work.  This video is recommended: “Mehdi Hasan, senior editor of the New Statesman magazine, attacks non-Muslims and atheists as “kufaar” and says they are like cattle.”


He is no longer at New Statesmen but at Huffington Post UK.

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