{"id":8213,"date":"2018-04-06T16:15:48","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T20:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncorv.com\/aaja_wp\/?p=8213"},"modified":"2021-01-05T21:54:19","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T02:54:19","slug":"seven-ways-to-avoid-double-standard-reporting-on-extremist-violence-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncorv.com\/aaja_wp\/2018\/04\/06\/seven-ways-to-avoid-double-standard-reporting-on-extremist-violence-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven ways to avoid double standard reporting on extremist violence (Report)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hypothetical question: a man, motivated by violent ideology, is charged with plotting to blow up a building (in a city outside of your market) and kill people \u2014 do you run this story and what does your coverage look like?<\/p>

Turns out the answer may lie more in the ethnic and religious background of the man than in anything else about the case. The\u00a0Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)<\/a><\/span>\u00a0released\u00a0a report<\/a><\/span>\u00a0revealing a glaring double standard in the news coverage of ideologically motivated violence.\u00a0This report compared legal and media treatment of offenders \u201cperceived to be Muslim…acting in the name of Islam,\u201d\u00a0dubbed as Category A,\u00a0and offenders \u201cwho are not perceived to be Muslim,\u201d\u00a0dubbed Category B. Even when the crimes were similar, news coverage of Category A was as much as seven and a half times more than that of Category B.\u00a0<\/p>

ISPU looked only at coverage by The New York Times and The Washington Post. While this narrow definition of media is problematic \u2014 most glaring is the implicit disregard for local news coverage \u2014 the report\u2019s findings showcase very important issues for journalists to consider when covering these cases; whether it\u2019s a 20-second voiceover or a 5,000 word story.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

“NEWS ORGANIZATIONS, WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY, GUIDE THE NATIONAL DISCOURSE. HOW WE PRESENT AND FRAME ISSUES DIRECTLY INFLUENCES HOW PEOPLE THINK AND TALK ABOUT THEM. IF WE\u2019RE DOING IT WRONG, THERE CAN BE WIDESPREAD NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.”<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>

\u00a0<\/p>

Ideologically motivated violence is a serious public safety and national security concern. And, most people are paying attention to this issue. News organizations, willingly or unwillingly, guide the national discourse. How we present and frame issues directly influences how people think and talk about them. If we\u2019re doing it wrong, there can be widespread negative consequences. The consequences for poor coverage could include\u00a0entire communities having to pay for the crimes of a few individuals, bad public policy reinforcing false narratives and misallocation of public safety resources. As journalists, we\u2019re supposed to do no harm, but right now that\u2019s not always the case.<\/p>

Here are some actionable lessons all journalists should remember when covering extremist attacks or plots:<\/p>