Why Muslims are Failing in the Media

By Razaq Bamidele

In line with the ethics and ethos that govern the practice of journalism, a medium to disseminate information and news to the public must be impartial, accurate and non-sentimental against any segment of the society either through social leaning, political associations or religious inclinations. In Nigeria, there are pronounced biases against Islam and Muslims by non-Muslims in the profession, and the reasons for this are not far-fetched.

LANGUAGE

It is on record that Islam originated in Saudi Arabia through Prophet Muhammad, the son of Abdullahi. He was sent by Allah to the world and expectedly, since the religion is from Saudi Arabia, the language of worship has to be the Arabic language.

Against this background, any journalist, who wants to report events relating to Islam and Muslims, is expected to have basic knowledge of the language because terminologies in Islam have their origins in Arabic beginning, from the name -ISlam. This will save the reporter from knowingly or unknowingly committing errors that could turn out to be fatal such as blasphemy.

And since journalists are to be Mr Know All, The best bet for a journalist covering a strange terrain is to leave any aspect confusing him in line with the journalistic ethos of ‘When in doubt, leave out.’ Or best, seek correct knowledge of the subject matter to report correctly. Most of the practitioners in the sector are non-Muslims and not willing to learn, thus pushing Islamic-oriented news to the back of the aisle.

SENTIMENT

Another factor is religious sentiment. This occurs when a non-Muslim reporter is assigned to cover an Islamic occasion or write on events that have Islamic inclinations. If the reporter is a Christian who holds tenaciously to his beliefs in line with John 3 verse 16, which says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” to cover an Islamic programme where preachers upon preachers are hammering on the messages in the glorious Qur’an, chapter 112, verses 1-4 which run thus: “Say, He is Allah (Who is) One, Allah the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is he begotten. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” On this premise, chances are that the non-Muslim reporter may fee a bit uncomfortable reporting Islamic events accurately. Even when he does, the non-Muslim editors, who are in the majority, may not have the stomach to accommodate such Islamic doctrine!

MISCONCEPTION

It is no more news that some people out there deliberate. ignorantly harbour the misconception that Islam is a religion e violence, even with the meaning of its name being peace.

When the emergence of killer terrorists Boko Haram became a lot of the country, the group was branded Islamic group, with the wrong notion that they were out against non-Muslims. Whereas, it is evident that many Muslims have been falling under the swords, bow and arrows of these enemies of peace! The twisted reports often prevent the security agencies from being rightly focused on proper investigations. Thank God some recent events are exposing the anti-Islam hypocrites who are hell-bent on calling a dog a bad name with the sole aim of hanging it. Recently, when two soldiers murdered a Yobe State born Muslim cleric and made away with his car before mother luck ran against them, the initial reports suggested that the sad event was that it was from Muslims. But when the soldiers were apprehended, they were non-Muslims!

PROPRIETORSHIP

Another important factor why Muslims do not enjoy good mention in Nigeria’s Media is the poor financial investment of the Muslims in the Media Enterprise. And going by the adage that says, he who pays the piper dictates the tune, Muslims cannot be well reported in the Media. Reporters working in media houses owned by non-Muslims must put the instruction or the body language into consideration while reporting and submitting Islamic stories to their editors. And until we start to own media outlets, the challenges will remain. In addition, the nonchalant attitudes of Muslims towards ownership of media houses and their lackadaisical posture towards media is also a clog. Research has shown that some Muslims who are newsmakers are often reluctant to grant media interviews or write columns on Islamic perspectives on major local, national and international issues.

RECOMMENDATION/SOLUTION

We need to change our attitude towards the Media business in all ramifications. We need to patronize our own owned Media and use our connections to sustain such media through advertisements, coverage of events and subscriptions. Let us improve upon our reading culture. Islam is about knowledge seeking and there are still many things we do not know that these Islamic media can provide. Parents should allow their children and wards to take courses in journalism and Information Communication Technology ICT, put their feet properly on the path of Islam from their cradle and expose them to the proper conduct of Islam. Let us always donate to these Media houses for their growth.

Individuals and associations can team up to float newspapers, conventional and online radios, and televisions with the aim of propagating Islam. Let us see our patronage of the Islamic Media as supporting Allah to earn His rewards in the Hereafter. “Oh you who have believed! if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet”. Q47:7.

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