Arabs in the media: victims or villains? For decades, media portrayals of Arab culture and Islam have helped distort American public opinion. Looking closely at news coverage regarding the Middle East and the United States, one notices an inherent media bias against Arabs and Muslims as foreign threats to internal security. Stephen Franklin argues that “Islamic nations are often portrayed in the news as uniformly intolerant and antidemocratic” (Franklin 17). Unfortunately, this coverage has contributed to the public and government misconception that all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists. According to Fawaz Gerges, “terrorism has emerged as one of the most important political issues in the United States…[linking] it to Islamic militancy…” (Gerges 79). Furthermore, the media's distorted portrayal of Arabs and Muslims has perpetuated countless stereotypes that undoubtedly influence American opinion. These stereotypes and misconceptions about Arabs and Muslims clearly indicate a media bias caused by ignorance and ethnocentrism. The elite media's role in portraying Arab culture and Islam following the Oklahoma City bombing has had a detrimental effect on American public opinion, investigative proceedings, and government action. Once news of the Oklahoma City attack reached the Associated Press and major American publications, journalists were quick to point the finger at Muslim fundamentalism. The Western perspective of the Middle East is dark. Muslims are considered a ruthless and barbaric people, inclined to kill and destroy. Steven Emerson, a so-called expert appearing on CBS Evening News, "suggested that there [must] be some inherent cultural trait behind... middle of paper...people.virginia.edu/~sy5u /Bias.htmlWorks CitedBazzi, Mohamad . "The Arab Menace", The Progressive, no. 8, August 1995. P40.Franklin, Stephen "Covering the World of Muslims", Columbia Journalism Review, vol 1995. p17Gerges, Fawaz A. "Islam and Muslims in the Mind of America: Influences on the Making of US Policy", Journal of Palestine Studies, No. 2, Winter 1997, p68-77. Hernandez, Debra Gersh Media Stereotypes", Editor & Publisher. Vol 117, Iss 36. 3 September 1994. p16-17. Lacayo, Richard. "How safe is safe?". Time. May 1, 1995. p68-72. Rosewicz, Barbara. "Terrorism hits home: American building bombed; Dead include children." The Wall Street Journal. April 20, 1995. A1, A6. Thomas, Pierre and Ann Devroy. "Clinton Condemns 'Evil Cowards' for Blast." The Washington Post. April 20, 1995. A1, A24.