Media Bias and Stereotypes on the Middle East

Middle East. What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term Middle East? Do you think about war and violence, terrorist, women covered in burqa, camels, oasis, exotic belly dancers, or maybe even a magic carpet? If you think about any of those things I’ve listed above, your perception towards the Middle East has been distorted by mass media bias.

Today, mass media plays an important role in our society. With the ever changing of technology, mass media comes in a variety of mediums such as television, newspaper, internet, radio, film, and many more. The purpose of mass media is to inform, to entertain, and to advertise. It helps the society to be informed with different current events from the war in the Middle East to celebrity gossip. The main point is that mass media plays a major role in our society today, and we may not realize it, but mass media also influence us we the way we perceive things.

Mass media bias and false assumptions about the Middle East goes way back to the post-colonial era. Back in the days, many westerners would visit countries of the Near East to explore one of the most ancient civilizations in the world. After they have explored these countries, their representation of the Near East is presented through different mediums such as paintings or writings, but many of these representations of the Near East are a bit exaggerated, and unrealistic. Many westerners depict the Near East to be this magical place full of exotic women, camels, oasis, desert, etc. This perception of the Near East has been consistent up to this very day, and for this reason, the United States is one of the many victim that has been greatly influenced by these false assumptions of the Near East or Middle East.

Even ever since I was little, I was already influenced by the media thinking that the Near East is some sort of magical place with exotic belly dancers, and perhaps a flying magic carpet. These images I have in mind are greatly affected by the shows I watched, or movies such as Aladdin. Aladdin is a great example of how the Westerner thinks of the Near East, and it also depicts how Arab men are violent, and the women are oppressed.  A few months ago, I asked my sister and my dad a random question. I asked them, “how come Arab men are always portrayed as the bad guy in movies? How come they are always portrayed to be some sort of terrorist? I really don’t get it, no wonder our society thinks so badly about them.” Honestly, I always wonder, why would they always portray them to be criminals? Why can’t the Arabs be the good guy?

I believe things will be differently if our perception towards the Middle East hasn’t been deluded with false assumptions or media bias we have today. Media is supposed to inform the people with truth and actual facts, and not selected stories or events that doesn’t verify the actual truth. Since media is powerful enough to influence or to change one’s belief, we should take this as an opportunity to promote the truth about the Middle East, and take away the entire stereotype that has been going on for a long time. 

Why don't we start by potraying an Arab man to be the good guy in a movie? I think that will make a great difference.