Representation of Islam and Muslims in the Australian Press: Exploring the “Securitization” Discourse

Abstract

There is a plethora of research conducted in the UK, US, and in few other European countries that has revealed a prominent discourse of securitization in the news coverage of Islam and Muslims. Researchers have evidenced that the media have portrayed Islam and Muslims as a security threat to the West. This paper sets out to explore whether the editorial coverage of Islam and Muslims in the Australian press reflects the securitization discourse from August 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016. Employing Van Dijk’s ideological square and lexicalisation approaches within the CDA paradigm, this study examined editorials from two leading Australian newspapers. The findings validate the existence of the securitization discourse in the editorial contents of the selected newspapers during the period under study. The Australian portrayed Islam and Muslims as a security threat to Australia, Europe, and to the West more explicitly than The Age. This study confirms that there is a clear transformation in the Muslims’ construction in the Australian press from an exotic presence to the bearers of values, culture, and political inclination considered violent, radical, and threatening to the Australian values and life style.