Media Reaction Paper
The way modern technology and the advancements made in communication this have influenced the American people. In the last decade the effects that media plays has helped with opinions that people make has escalated. With the invention of television and the Internet has allowed the news to travel throughout the world in lightning speed. The sources of this information in some instances can report the facts only the media believes that people should hear. Right or wrong and in some cases bad information in some cases is spread over the airways via internet, radio, and television. The media will continue running a story over and over the replaying of a story helps to reinforce this information in people’s minds thus helping to shape their opinion on different subject. This paper will discuss media’s reaction regarding the Arab and Muslim Americans since September 11 attacks. This paper will address the historic framework as well as the political content on this issue. My own opinion will be given on certain messages the media was attempting to portray was this coverage a biased or unbiased as well as was this issue sensationalized or objectively portrayed. For this assignment comes a story from the Detroit news titled Always Suspect: Local Arabs and Immigration.
After September 11, 2001 became a turning point in the lives of people in America and around the world. Many Americans lost and gave their lives as well as being injured this had a huge effect on the Arab and Muslim community in living in United States. The lives of many changed due to the actions of a few even the media had a huge impact with people in how they would view these events on 9/11. Months following this tragic event news stations even radio stations their stories focused many on terrorism by Arab and Muslim people. When the average people listen to the news this became their focus of attention. With the constant media coverage, speculation came about from the media in part because of the panic among Americans.
Many Arab and Muslims came to the United States for a better way of life for themselves and their families. In the early, 1800 and World War 1 Arabs and Muslims started migrating to America they settled with the general population unnoticed. The Arabs and Muslims that came to America came to escape the conflicts and war that was going on in their native lands. A large number of Muslims migrated to America back in1950 during the end of WWII. Midway through the 1960’s a third wave of immigration of Arab and Muslims came to the United States to flee their homelands this continues to the present day. The Arab and Muslims that did live in United States lived in peace up until the war between Arabs and Israeli back in June 1967. The war had caused an Arab embargo on oil making the price quadruple. Politicians, political commentators along with the media Muslims and Arabs were portrayed bloodthirsty terrorist. The media called them greedy oil sheiks bringing unwanted, unfair criticism to the Arab and Muslim community living in the United States. With the attacks of 9/11 American people became more distrusting with Arabs and Muslims this caused the federal government to impose the immigration laws using this as a weapon against Arabs and Muslims. The media coverage became more intense causing most American people to discriminate on the Arab and Muslim Americans. The U.S. government placed strict restrictions on immigration after the September 11 attacks. The Arab community was under constant scrutiny to prevent further terrorist attacks. The police became involved placing them under arrest and making them return to their native land. The article wanted to shed some light on how the Arab and Muslim people in America was receiving unfair treatment. The reporter did a great job on giving an objective outlook to the problem in an unbiased manner that was plaguing the Muslim and Arab people. In the article, it discourages discrimination and prejudice practices against Arab and Muslims. The reporter wrote how the affects of people’s perception in most cases that Americans think they do not show any prejudice or discrimination towards the Arab people Americans were stereotyping the Arab American and not realizing this.
When the restrictions on immigration were placed this affected the U.S. economy, companies that recruited the skilled people from the Middle East this cut their recruitment process because of the tougher immigration laws. It was reported new student enrollment declined at colleges and universities because of the immigration process. United States new immigrates were literate and unskilled they impacted the economy in the labor force by working in industrial and textile fields this is after all the backbone of American economy and still being stereotyped for their hard work ethics in trying to better their life for themselves and family. Just like any American trying to make that American dream come true.
In conclusion, the media does have the ability to shape America in the way American people think. With the media replaying news stories, repeatedly they are reinforcing that information into the minds of people not just in America but also all over the world. These reports sometimes accurate other times not and misleading. The media plays a very important role in the lives of people in how one view each group of people that may be different. The media is a very powerful source they can bring out positive or negative responses to races of people that are just trying to survive here in America. The media helped in contributing to the discrimination and prejudice towards the Muslim and Arab people. This group of people does have a long history with America starting in the 1800’s to present-day Arab and Muslim people they too are a part of the United States history. Arab and Muslim people help shaping America’s economy with their work ethics and knowledge. Arab and Muslim just like any other race living here in United States their looking to live in peace one reason they left and without any prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, and even fear. They came to America hoping and praying that they could survive in a new country the American people should give them that chance just without any labels attached and then maybe they may know why we love this country the way we do.

References Edwards, J., R. (2002). Grading The Hill On Illegal Immigration, The Washington Times Embracing Illegals (2005). Business Week Online. Retrieved from htpp://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_29/b3943001_m2001-html Krupa, G., and Behow, J. (November 3, 2003). The Detroit News:
Local Arabs & Immigration. (Immigration Crackdown Snares Arabs) Schaefer, R., T. (20100). Racial and Ethnic Groups. (12th ed)
Pearson-Prentice Hall