MEDIA, STEREOTYPES AND MUSLIM REPRESENTATION: WORLD AFTER JYLLANDS-POSTEN MUHAMMAD CARTOONS CONTROVERSY

In the 21st century media has become the dominant source of knowledge of Islam and Muslims and selectively decides what the West should know about Islam and what should be hidden. However, the underlying assumption is that, the media as an institution forming stereotypes depends on the local socio-cultural context. The goal of this paper – to find out how media (as the mediator) forms values, world view of a society, creates stereotypes in different cultural environments through analysis of Muhammad cartoons. The objectives are: to define the concepts of Neo-Orientalism, Muslimophobia and Islamophobia; to find out the connection between media representations and negative images of Islam and Muslims in the society; to reveal the main stereotypes of Muslims and Islam in online media in 4 different countries by analysing the case of Muhammad cartoons. The conducted qualitative and quantitative content analysis confirmed the hypothesis that in the specific cultures the same event is presented in different ways while forming value based orientation for a specific audience. Western media seeks to portray Muslims as terrorists / Islamists that are against West, their values and any possibility of integration in Western societies. Meanwhile, Lebanon and India (Kashmir) media does not portray orientalism and Islamophobic views, because audiences are dominated by Muslims. However there are noticeable manifestations of Occidentalism - resistance to the West and the Islamophobic portrayal of public in media. Moreover, information serves as a public mobilization function, so there are reasons to believe that violent protests in Kashmir and Lebanon could have been encouraged by the media

SHAPING OF THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON REFUGEES IN SOCIAL MEDIA: "REFUGEES WELCOME LITHUANIA"

Social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are starting to become places, where people present and evaluate various events in the world: terrorist attacks in London, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels. What is more, these websites influence values of their users and readers. Technologies allow people to exchange views at the very moment of the event. The time zone, area, or other physical aspects of the platform participants do not matter. However, this ability might cause negative impact on the discussed social groups. The aim of this article – to analyse the discourse formation in media regarding refugees’ integration and humanitarian crisis in Europe. The goals of this study are: to figure out how the practices of public participation evidences in the context of communication through social media; to form a methodology according to up-to-date communicational concepts and analyse how the images of refugees are formed in social media; to reveal the main actors, involved in the formation of the discourse on refugees in Lithuania, by analysing the content in Facebook pages “Priimsiu pabÄ—gÄ—lį†(eng. “Refugees Welcomeâ€) and “Visuomeninis komitetas prieÅ¡ priverstinÄ™ imigraciją†(eng. “Public Committee against Forced Immigrationâ€)

Representation of Islam and Muslims in Western films: an "imaginary" Muslim community

This article provides a textual and visual analysis of Hirsi Ali and van Gogh's controversial short film 'Submission' (2004) and Marc Forster's 'The Kite Runner' (2007). Emphasis is placed on rhetorical and plot strategies, aimed at reinforcing unproductive Orientalist stereotypes of Islam and Muslims. The aim of this analysis is to find out how Muslims and Islam are presented in 'Submission' and 'The Kite Runner', based on E. Said's (1978) work "Orientalism" and to identify Theo van Gogh's assassination, influenced public attitudes towards Muslims. The following means are used to reach the aim: to analyze the concept of Orientalism and stereotypes, connections with the media and the influence of popular culture on their expression; to find out the role of the Muslim minority in the process of constructing social reality (stereotypes); to analyze how Muslims and Islam are presented in the films 'Submission' and 'The Kite Runner'. Summarizing the analysis of the film 'Submission', it should be noted, that the main character is supposedly portrayed as being oppressed by Islamic culture, who lived in complete isolation, thus reinforcing the negative attitudes and stereotypes in society towards Muslims, especially women. However, the subject of 'Submission', feminism or the oppression of women was never the main subject of discussion, on the contrary, it was Islamic radicalism, extremism and terrorism. Meanwhile, after analyzing the film 'The Kite Runner', it should be noted, that the plot reveals stereotypes about Islam and Muslims that exist in both Western and Eastern societies. Oriental characters are portrayed in the film as much lower in morality and values than, for example, Westerners. The film's episodes emphasize the fanatical consequences of both terrorism and Islamism, and the relationship between the main characters reflects the orientalist culture of Afghanistan

Representation of Roma in Lithuanian online media: 15min.lt and lrytas.lt case studies

This study focuses on how Roma communities are represented in the Lithuanian online media. The aim is to answer the question of how news about the Roma is embedded in the broader practices of neoliberalism and racist discourses. Representation of the Roma in the media is inseparable from constructivism, power and influence. Roma communities have little opportunity to make their voices heard in society, i.e., their voice is not heard or represented in the media. Political representation of the Roma is particularly important due to the weak opportunities to participate in the formulation and decision-making of certain political decisions, both in the national and international context. It is assumed, that the negative and even stereotypical portrayal of the Roma in the media encourages a negative public attitude towards this ethnic group and has an impact on the (in)successful integration of the Roma into society. The aim of the research is to find out how Roma are represented on the online news portals 15min.lt and Lrytas.lt and to reveal how stereotypes are formed in relation with this national minority. The following tasks are used to reveal the aim of the work: to present the history of the Roma and the problems of their identity, to analyze the concept of Romaphobia, to present the theory of social constructivism and the role of the media in shaping social reality; to perform a qualitative analysis of the content of the news portals 15min.lt and Lrytas.lt: comparing how Roma perceptions are formed on these news portals and how different groups of actors contribute to constructing and maintaining stereotypes in the media/society. The qualitative analysis of the content revealed that the information, provided in the media, aims to portray the Roma as a threat to public security and to the local population, who experience socio-economic exclusion, who have different values and are reluctant to integrate. However, Roma are not given the right to self-representation because the unilateral narrative of the event dominates and the audience for which the report is addressed is too homogeneous. Manifestations of Romaphobia are observed in the news portals' discourse. It can be assumed, that this creates a negative value orientation for readers, as Roma is perceived as an "undesirable" ethnic group in Lithuania. However, the Roma themselves do not have effective means to make heard their "voice" and participate in public life in order to challenge the dominant negative images

Political participation in the context of contemporary media: the case of refugees in Lithuania

This study aims to explore how new communication technologies are transforming the nature of political participation and how social media platforms can create discourses of solidarity with migrants or confrontation with them. The objectives of the study are: to analyse the concept of political participation in the context of migration; to describe the role of new communication technologies in the decision-making process of the host society; and to show the role of social media in increasing refugee integration of migrants and solidarity with them. In order to explore the role of new communication technologies in the context of refugee integration, interviews are conducted with refugees living in Lithuania, whose unique experiences are analysed in the context of not only the role of new communication tools, but also political participation (e.g. citizenship, voting in the elections, meetings with local government representatives, etc.) in their host country. It should be mentioned, that new communication technologies enable migrants to participate in the communities they have left behind and to create new virtual communities that function as a mobilising instrument for migrants. The analysis of the dynamics between migrant integration and new communication technologies shows that digital technologies facilitate the integration of migrants in social, political, economic and cultural spheres. New technologies can help migrants to find information on rights, citizenship, local migrant support services, and overcome feelings of isolation by providing migrants with information. The results of the interview show that new technologies are very important for refugees, as they help to build networks of family and friends, support communities and create a sense of belonging in the host society. However, negative representations of refugees in social media also contribute to the difficulties refugees face during their integration

The Mediatization of New Movements: The Case of "Je suis Charlie"

Magistro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjamas socialinių medijų vaidmuo formuojant individų vertybinę orientaciją bei konstruojant neigiamus socialinių grupių įvaizdžius mediatizacijos bei socialinių tinklų aktyvizmo kontekste. Teroristiniai išpuoliai „Charlie Hebdo“ redakcijoje paskatino kurti internetines socialinių tinklalapių bendruomenes, pavadinimu „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) ir „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“), kuriomis didinamas individų dalyvavimas visuomeniniuose procesuose ir išreiškiama kritika visuomenės kaip pasyvaus konstrukto sampratai. Vis dėlto naujosios komunikacinės technologijos ne tik įgalina „konstruoti“ virtualias bendruomenes, tačiau gali paskatinti socialinių grupių diskriminaciją, kadangi pagrindinė prielaida yra ta, kad socialinėse medijose pateikiama klaidinga informacija kenkia vartotojų gebėjimui mąstyti, kritiškai analizuoti bei interpretuoti aprašomus įvykius ar kitų individų argumentus. Šio darbo objektas – naujųjų internetinių bendruomenių „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) bei „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“) komunikacijos ir mediatizacijos turinys socialiniuose tinklalapiuose. Išsikeltas darbo tikslas – išsiaiškinti socialinių medijų kaip tarpininko vaidmenį formuojant individų vertybes, pasaulėžiūrą, mobilizuojant naujųjų internetinių judėjimų (bendruomenių) dalyvius bei skatinant visuomenės poliarizaciją, segmentaciją ir supriešinimą skirtingose virtualiose terpėse per „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) ir „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“) atvejų analizę socialiniuose tinklalapiuose „Facebook“ bei „Twitter“. Tikslui pasiekti keliami šie uždaviniai: išnagrinėti viešosios erdvės mediatizacijos bei socialinių tinklų aktyvizmo procesus šiuolaikinėje visuomenėje; nustatyti, kokiais būdais, formomis, kanalais komunikuoja naujieji virtualūs (protesto) judėjimai; ištirti skirtinguose socialiniuose tinklalapiuose „Facebook“ ir „Twitter“ konstruojamą vertybinę orientaciją „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) ir „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“) judėjimų atžvilgiu pasitelkiant diskurso kokybės analizės kategorijas (pagrįstumo principus (angl. validity claims)); palyginti kaip skirtingos veikėjų grupės dalyvauja konstruojant vertybinę orientaciją socialinių grupių atžvilgiu per stigmatizaciją bei marginalizaciją (spaudos ir žodžio laisvės; religinės tolerancijos; terorizmo ir islamizmo kontekste); išsiaiškinti, kokios yra galimybės perkelti virtualius (protesto) judėjimus į realias fizines dalyvavimo formas. Atlikta kokybinė ir kiekybinė socialinių tinklalapių turinio analizė patvirtino hipotezę, kad skirtingose simbolinėse (virtualiose) bendruomenėse „Charlie Hebdo“ karikatūros bei teroristiniai išpuoliai Prancūzijoje pristatomi diametraliai priešingai, formuojant nuostatas palankias tikslinės auditorijos, kuriai skirtas pranešimas daugumai. „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) atveju pateikiama informacija sąmoningai siekiama suformuoti neigiamą požiūrį islamo ir musulmonų atžvilgiu, akcentuojant žodžio ir spaudos laisvę, terorizmo bei islamizmo grėsmę, tokiu būdu demonizuojant, stigmatizuojant bei marginalizuojant šią religinę bendruomenę. Tuo tarpu socialiniuose tinklalapiuose „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“) pasirinkta komunikacine strategija (stilistika ir retorika) siekiama formuoti kardinaliai priešingus kontrargumentus pasitelkiant religinės tolerancijos sampratą, kadangi išreiškiamos neigiamos nuostatos Vakarų atžvilgiu, akcentuojant islamofobijos, rasizmo bei ksenofobijos problemas su kuriomis susiduria musulmonai – imigrantai Vakaruose. Atlikta lyginamoji analizė patvirtino argumentą, kad skirtingų internetinių (protesto) judėjimų dalyviams nesuteikiamos vienodos mediatizuoto balso (angl. mediatised voice) galimybės būti išgirstiems abiejų kardinaliai priešingus požiūrius palaikančių auditorijų, dėl šios priežasties informacinė asimetrija ir selektyvumas gali sustiprinti (jų kultūrinėje terpėje) dominuojantį diskursą bei sąlygoti socialinių grupių diskriminaciją: islamofobijos bei krikščionofobijos raišką visuomenėje. „Je suis Charlie“ („Aš esu Charlie“) atveju dalinamasi prezidentų, politikų, žurnalistų pasisakymais, kurie skatina islamofobijos bei muslimofobijos diskursą visuomenėje, tuo tarpu „Je ne suis pas Charlie“ („Aš nesu Charlie“) veikėjai – musulmonų atstovai, išreiškiantys priešiškas pozicijas Vakarų kultūrinei hegemonijai, dominavimui ir priespaudai.This master's degree thesis examines the role of social media in shaping the value orientation of individuals and constructing negative images of social groups in the context of mediatization and social media activism. The terrorist attacks of \"Charlie Hebdo\" publishing house led to the creation of online social networking communities, titled \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\") and \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\"). These events enhanced individual participation in public processes and led to the expression of criticism of society as passive construct. However, the new communication technology not only enables the construction of virtual communities, but could lead to discrimination against social groups. The reasoning behind that is that social media provides information harmful for consumers' ability to think critically, analyze and interpret the events or the arguments of other individuals. The object of the research – the new online communities \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\") and \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\") communication and mediatization content on social websites. The main goal of this work – to figure out social media's role as a mediator in shaping individuals values, worldview, mobilizing new online movements (communities), stakeholders and promoting public polarization, segmentation and the confrontation in different virtual environments through \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\") and \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\") case studies on social websites like Facebook and Twitter. In order to achieve this goal the following tasks were created: to analyze the mediatization of public sphere and social networking activism processes in modern society; to identify in what ways, forms and channels communicate new virtual (protest) movements; to explore how value orientation of \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\") and \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\") movements is constructed in different social websites Facebook and Twitter using the discourse quality categories (validity claims); to compare different groups of actors involved in the construction of value orientation of social groups through stigmatization and marginalization (in the context of freedom of speech and press; religious tolerance; terrorism and Islamism); to find out what options are available to move virtual (protest) movements in the real physical forms of participation. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of social networks content confirmed the hypothesis that in different symbolic (virtual) communities, \"Charlie Hebdo\" cartoons and the terrorist attacks in France are presented diametrically contrary to the provisions of the target group to which the message is supposed to be addressed to. Concerning the case of \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\"), the information is deliberately intended to form a negative perception of Islam and Muslims in an emphasis on freedom of speech and press, terrorism and the threat of Islamism, thus demonizing, stigmatizing and marginalizing the religious community. Meanwhile, in the social network \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\") has been chosen communication strategy (style and rhetoric) aimed at forming a diametrically opposite counter through religious tolerance concept, as expressed in negative attitudes towards the West, focusing on Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia faced by Muslims – the immigrants in the West. A comparative analysis that was conducted confirmed the hypothesis that the different online (protest) movements participants does not get the equal \"mediatised voice\" opportunity to be heard in two diametrically opposite approaches by supportive audiences, because of that information asymmetry and selectivity can enhance the dominant discourse (in their culture medium) and lead to discrimination against social groups: expression of Islamophobia and Christianophobia in the society. In the case of \"Je suis Charlie\" (\"I am Charlie\"), the presidents, politicians, journalists and lawyers speeches encourage Islamophobic and Muslimophobic discourses in society, while \"Je ne suis pas Charlie\" (\"I'm not Charlie\") initiators – Muslim representatives, express completely different positions, for example, emphasizing Western cultural hegemony, domination and oppression.Politikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakult.Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta

SHAPING OF THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON REFUGEES IN SOCIAL MEDIA: "REFUGEES WELCOME LITHUANIA"

Social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are starting to become places, where people present and evaluate various events in the world: terrorist attacks in London, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels. What is more, these websites influence values of their users and readers. Technologies allow people to exchange views at the very moment of the event. The time zone, area, or other physical aspects of the platform participants do not matter. However, this ability might cause negative impact on the discussed social groups. The aim of this article – to analyse the discourse formation in media regarding refugees’ integration and humanitarian crisis in Europe. The goals of this study are: to figure out how the practices of public participation evidences in the context of communication through social media; to form a methodology according to up-to-date communicational concepts and analyse how the images of refugees are formed in social media; to reveal the main actors, involved in the formation of the discourse on refugees in Lithuania, by analysing the content in Facebook pages “Priimsiu pabėgėlį” (eng. “Refugees Welcome”) and “Visuomeninis komitetas prieš priverstinę imigraciją” (eng. “Public Committee against Forced Immigration”)

Representation of islam and muslims in inematography: case studies of The Kite Runner and Submission

Straipsnyje pateikiama Hirsi Ali ir Van Gogho prieštaringai vertinamo trumpametražio filmo „Nuolankumas“ (2004) ir Marco Forsterio filmo „Bėgantis paskui aitvarą“ (2007) tekstinė ir vaizdinė analizė. Akcentuojamos retorinės ir siužetinės strategijos, kuriomis siekiama sustiprinti neproduktyvius orientalistinius islamo ir musulmonų stereotipus. Šios analizės tikslas – išsiaiškinti, kaip pristatomi musulmonai ir islamas filmuose „Bėgantis paskui aitvarą“ (angl. The Kite Runner) ir „Nuolankumas“ (angl. Submission) remiantis E. Said (1978) „Orientalizmu“, ir nustatyti kinematografijos vaidmenį kuriant stereotipus skirtingose kultūrinėse terpėse. Tikslui atskleisti pasitelkiami uždaviniai: išanalizuoti orientalizmo ir stereotipų koncepciją, sąsajas su žiniasklaida ir populiariosios kultūros daromą įtaką jų raiškai; išsiaiškinti musulmonų mažumos vaidmenį socialinės realybės (stereotipų) konstravimo procese; išanalizuoti, kaip pristatomi musulmonai ir islamas filmuose „Nuolankumas“ ir „Bėgantis paskui aitvarą“. Apibendrinant filmo „Nuolankumas“ analizę atkreiptinas dėmesys, kad pagrindinė veikėja (pasakojanti 4 moterų istorijas) vaizduojama kaip slegiama islamo kultūros, kur gyvenama visiškoje izoliacijoje, taip sustiprinant visuomenėje egzistuojantį neigiamą požiūrį musulmonų, ypač moterų, atžvilgiu. Vis dėlto pagrindiniu diskusijų objektu niekada netapo filmas „Nuolankumas“, feminizmas ar moterų priespauda, priešingai, tai buvo islamiškasis radikalizmas, ekstremizmas ir terorizmas. O išanalizavus filmą „Bėgantis paskui aitvarą“ pažymėtina, kad vaizduojamas „civilizacijų susidūrimas“ atskleidžia stereotipus islamo ir musulmonų atžvilgiu, egzistuojančius tiek Vakarų, tiek Rytų visuomenėse. Didžioji dalis Oriento veikėjų filme vaizduojami kaip priešiški Vakarams, pavyzdžiui, žemesnės moralės ar vertybių nei Vakarų atstovai. [...]This article provides a textual and visual analysis of Hirsi Ali and van Gogh’s controversial short film Submission(2004) and Marc Forster’s The Kite Runner (2007). Emphasis is placed on rhetorical and plot strategies aimed at reinforcing unproductive Orientalist stereotypes of Islam and Muslims. The goal of this analysis is to find out how Muslims and Islam are presented in Submission and The Kite Runner, based on E. Said’s work Orientalism (1978) and to identify the role of cinematography in creating stereotypes in different cultural environments. Theo van Gogh’s assassination influenced public attitudes towards Muslims. The following tasks were set: to analyze the concept of Orientalism and stereotypes, connections with the media and the influence of popular culture on their expression; to find out the role of the Muslim minority in the process of constructing social reality (stereotypes); to analyze how Muslims and Islam are presented in the films Submissionand The Kite Runner.Summarizing the analysis of the film Submission, it should be noted that the main character is supposedly portrayed as being oppressed by Islamic culture, who lived in complete isolation, thus reinforcing negative attitudes and stereotypes in society towards Muslims, especially women. However, the subject of Submission, feminism or the oppression of women, was never the main subject of discussion, on the contrary, it was Islamic radicalism, extremism and terrorism. Meanwhile, after analyzing the film The Kite Runner, it should be noted that the plot reveals stereotypes about Islam and Muslims that exist in both Western and Eastern societies. Oriental characters are portrayed in the film as much lower in morality and values than, for example, Westerners. [...]Viešosios komunikacijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Islamophobia, muslim representation and stereotypes in the Western media after the 9/11 events

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas žiniasklaidos vaidmuo tarp įvaizdžių konstravimo ir realybės reprezentavimo orientalizmo ir islamofobijos kontekste. Žiniasklaida XXI amžiuje yra tapusi dominuojančiu šaltiniu pažinti islamą ir musulmonus, kadangi selektyviai atrenka, ką Vakarai turėtų žinoti apie islamą ir ką reikėtų paslėpti. Vis dėlto pagrindinė prielaida yra ta, kad žiniasklaidos kaip institucijos, formuojančios stereotipus, galimybės priklauso nuo vietinio sociokultūrinio konteksto. Išsikeltas tyrimo tikslas – išsiaiškinti žiniasklaidos kaip tarpininko vaidmenį formuojant visuomenės vertybes, pasaulėžiūrą ir kuriant stereotipus skirtingose kultūrinėse terpėse per Muhammado karikatūrų krizės analizę. Tikslui pasiekti keliami šie uždaviniai: išanalizuoti žiniasklaidos kaip tarpininko vaidmenį formuojant vertybinę orientaciją ir konstruojant stereotipus; išanalizuoti stereotipo ir islamofobijos koncepcijas ir išsiaiškinti sąsajas su žiniasklaidos formuojamais neigiamais islamo ir musulmonų įvaizdžiais; ištirti keturių skirtingų valstybių žiniasklaidoje konstruojamus musulmonų ir islamo stereotipus analizuojant Muhammado karikatūrų atvejį.[...]The role of the media as an intermediary between the formation of images and the representation of reality in the context of Orientalism and Islamophobia was analyzed in the paper. In the 21st century the media has become the dominant source of knowledge about Islam and the Muslims because it selectively decides what the West should know about Islam and what should be disguised. However, the underlying assumption is media, as a stereotype formation institution, opportunities depend on a local sociocultural context. The main goal of this research was to identify the role of the media as an intermediary in shaping social values and worldviews and stereotyping in different cultural environments on the basis of the Muhammad caricature crisis analysis. In order to achieve this objective the following tasks were set: to analyze the role of the media as an intermediary in shaping value-based orientation and constructing stereotypes, to clarify the concepts of a stereotype and Islamophobia and to identify a link between a negative image of Islam and the Muslims constructed by the media, to examine media constructed stereotypes of the Muslims and Islam in four different countries on the basis of the Muhammad caricature case.[...]Kauno kolegijaPolitikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakult.Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta