Framing Islam: An Analysis of U.S. Media Coverage of Terrorism Since 9/11

Since 9/11 there have been 11 terrorist events on U.S. soil that occurred or were stopped on the planned day of attack. This study of news coverage of those terrorist events revealed a thematic pattern of terrorism coverage in which fear of international terrorism is dominant, particularly as Muslims/Arabs/Islam working together in organized terrorist cells against a “Christian America,” while domestic terrorism is cast as a minor threat that occurs in isolated incidents by troubled individuals.