Communicating Differences: Media, Whiteness, and Islamophobia

COMMUNICATING DIFFERENCES
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Introduction
Communal differences are increasing with the creation of social identities (Chalmers & Dreher,
2009, p 140). Media sources of various types are fueling such differences. Australia is a
culturally diversified country with a large number of different communities that promotes
diversity. Australians are known to attach greater importance to racial and cultural history
according to Starks (2018). Australia has been known to distinguish other’s background from
their own. The concept of othering is a term that demotes diversity framework and formation of
contemporary communities. Othering rather focuses on racialization, gender, sexuality,
multiculturalism, and class-based inequalities. The current critical discussion includes ways in
which Sunrise TV shows projects Muslim voices along with analysis from different scholars
exploring key argument and identifying similarities and differences between them.
Argument
Australia has had settler colonialism and Indigenous identities, recently there is a large number
of the immigrant population in the country. This essay will discuss issues of intersection,
whiteness, and Islamophobia in the current analysis. With the increasing number of immigrants
from the varied social construct, there has been rising intersectional issues from contemporary
Australian politics and news media (Butler, 2013, p 21). All forms of media frame subject in a
certain manner. In the diverse social framework, there is an issue in classifying a group of people
based upon a single shared identity. Violence is not a recent occurrence in Australia and it has
been happening since prolonged time. Riots and protests are presented visibility by the
Australian news media through their reporting. Whiteness is regarded as a social construct which
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is based on dominance and power. The critical whiteness theory states that the power of
whiteness is racialized to transform into political, social, economic and cultural behaviors. The
power of whiteness is regarded in norms, values, and cultures as being normative natural. They
act as standards for evaluating other cultural groups and individuals, who are regarded as being
inferior, according to Henry and Tator (2006, p 55). The concept of othering has become popular
in the global context and especially in Australia, it is being used to create social differences and
distinction. Most of the violence is currently attributed to being conducted by Islam terrorist
groups. Newspapers such as News Ltd, Daily Telegraph, the Courier-Mail, the Herald Sun and
the Advertiser are continuously focusing on associating Muslims with terrorism, violence, and
radicalism. Islamic Sciences and Research Academy and Islamophobia Register expressed that
politicians opinions and media expression has the key role in persecuting Muslims.
David Koch of Sunrise accused One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on the empowerment of white
supremacy (Stevens, 2019). Koch appeared furious while accusing the federal senator. The
television show highlights white supremacy and Pauline tried to defend herself by expressing her
concerns regarding the families who have lost lives in the attack. Koch directly accused Hanson
of being indirectly responsible for the terrorists attack, by fueling such hate speech against
Muslims. Paul Hanson is a prominent figure in the government, her speech is bound to impact
the other cultures residing within the same country. Anti-Muslim comments made by the
politician received significant coverage, which later led to an increase in Islamophobic incident.
Tamana Daqiq notes that a spike in Islamophobia could be anything from pulling off
headscarves, spatting of individuals, physical or verbal abuse. The above statement issued
against Muslims can be seen in many media forms across Australia. At first author's work with
supports, Koch's point of view will be analyzed and their dissimilarities will be understood.
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