Guardian columnist criticizes Spectator over Islamophobia report
12 reported
A Guardian columnist has criticized the Spectator, Britain’s oldest political magazine, following a report from the Centre for Media Monitoring (CMM) that reviewed 3,733 articles published by the magazine relating to Islam or Muslims. The report, released last week, found “a sustained and systemic pattern of biased coverage of Muslims and Islam,” with more than half of all relevant articles rated as biased over an eight-year period. The columnist, Nesrine Malik, writes that the report concluded the magazine regularly portrayed Muslims as a “problem population,” delegitimized the notion of Islamophobia, and consistently presented Muslims as exceptional or threatening. Malik cites examples from the magazine, including references to Muslim concerns about racist abuse as “dainty sensibilities” and a column stating that “there are now more than double the number of semi-literate, virgin-obsessed potential murderers among [sic] our midst.” The report’s foreword, written by former Spectator political editor Peter Oborne, traces the magazine’s shift from condemning anti-immigration politician Enoch Powell to “steadily rebuilding his reputation,” and notes a piece praising Tommy Robinson as “likable, intelligent, quick, articulate, well-informed, good-mannered.” Malik argues that despite such content, the Spectator’s summer party remains a sought-after social event attended by Labour and Tory politicians and journalists, including Nigel Farage.
What’s reported
The Centre for Media Monitoring reviewed 3,733 Spectator articles relating to Islam or Muslims.
The report was released last week and found more than half of relevant articles rated as biased over an eight-year period.
The report concluded the magazine portrayed Muslims as a “problem population,” delegitimized Islamophobia, and presented Muslims as exceptional or threatening.
Articles cited referred to Muslim concerns about racist abuse as “dainty sensibilities” and “handwringing.”
One column stated: “there are now more than double the number of semi-literate, virgin-obsessed potential murderers among [sic] our midst.”
Another column wrote: “Prominent historians … have noted entirely correctly that Islam seems to have things about it which make it uniquely indigestible to the modern secularised state.”
A contributor wrote: “We should have second thoughts about approving mosques.”
The report’s foreword by Peter Oborne traces the Spectator’s shift from condemning Enoch Powell to “steadily rebuilding his reputation.”
A piece from earlier this year said Powell “had a view of the British polity, values and way of life with which many Britons to this day feel they identify.”
The publication praised Tommy Robinson as “likable, intelligent, quick, articulate, well-informed, good-mannered.”
The Spectator’s summer party is attended by Labour and Tory politicians, journalists, and Nigel Farage.
The Spectator boasted in July that the party “remains the most sought-after social ticket of the Westminster summer season.”
Key figures
Nesrine Malik, Guardian columnist
Peter Oborne, writer and broadcaster, former Spectator political editor
Enoch Powell, anti-immigration politician (historical figure referenced)
Tommy Robinson, individual praised in a Spectator article
Nigel Farage, political figure referenced as attending the Spectator summer party
Sources: The Guardian
