BROADCAST BIAS: Networks hide the ‘M’ word after Muslim terror attack

Journalists wrong our broadcast networks person a sensitivity to immoderate disapproval of extremist Islam, bred by their loathing of conservatives. The word "Islamophobia" is connected their lips erstwhile anyone recalls thing from 9/11 to radical chanting "Death to America." When a convulsive oregon perchance lawsuit unfolds, they’re hoping the assailant isn’t Muslim, arsenic happened aft an attempted panic onslaught this week.

When Muslim Army doc Nidal Hasan changeable up Fort Hood successful 2009, sidesplitting 13, Newsweek’s Evan Thomas proclaimed connected televised pundit roundtable: "I cringe that he’s a Muslim. I mean, due to the fact that it inflames each the fears. I deliberation he’s astir apt conscionable a seed case. But with that statement attached to him, it volition get the close helping going." NPR’s Nina Totenberg chimed in: "It truly is tragic that helium was a Muslim."

That reflex surely applied to the March 7 protests extracurricular Gracie Mansion, wherever New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani lives. Two Muslim teenagers turned up astatine an anti-Islam protestation with homemade bombs, and the broadcast networks were highly reluctant to picture them with the "M word."

On Saturday’s "World News Tonight," connected ABC, anchor Linsey Davis was brief, describing "two radical arrested aft a suspicious instrumentality went disconnected during an anti-Muslim protestation present successful New York. The protests extracurricular Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence, prompting counter-protesters to amusement up arsenic well. Two were arrested for allegedly throwing what is believed to beryllium a fume bomb. No injuries reported." Thrown by whom? The anchor didn't specify. And it surely didn't crook retired to beryllium a "smoke bomb." It was a imaginable wide casualty event.

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CNN big Abby Phillip speaks during her show, "Newsnight" connected March 10, 2026. (CNN/Newsnight)

On Sunday morning, ABC’s "Good Morning America" was adjacent vaguer, with Gio Benitez reporting "the FBI’s associated coercion task unit is present investigating suspicious devices thrown during a protestation arsenic imaginable acts of terrorism." Here again, it's a maddeningly passive phrasing of "devices thrown." Thrown by whom?

Later successful the show, ABC’s Janai Norman recounted: "Police accidental 2 suspicious devices were found. Jars filled with nuts, bolts and screws, and a hobby fuse. They accidental 1 protestation of astir 20 radical was organized by far-right, anti-immigrant fig Jake Lang. About 125 radical were portion of the counter-protest."

So, 1 broadside is "far-right" and "anti-immigrant," and the different can’t beryllium identified with an ideological oregon spiritual affiliation. That study was truthful vague you mightiness deliberation the Lang radical threw the bombs.

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NBC "Sunday Today" big Willie Geist astatine slightest seemed to get the targeting right: the "incendiary devices" were thrown "towards a tiny radical of anti-Islam protesters led by a right-wing influencer."

On Sunday night’s "CBS Evening News," anchor Jericka Duncan again meandered astir it: "Tonight, the FBI is investigating 2 men aft an explosive instrumentality with bolts and screws was thrown into a crowd. It happened successful New York City connected Saturday during a protestation that turned convulsive extracurricular the mayor’s authoritative residence." Who turned it violent?

CBS newsman Shanelle Kaul identified Mamdani arsenic a Muslim, but not the assailants. They were conscionable "two men," she repeated.  Viewers could get a hint erstwhile the teens were identified arsenic Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, but Kaul blamed the incidental connected the "anti-Islam objection led by Jake Lang … a pardoned U.S. Capitol insurrectionist who has often sought retired governmental confrontations successful the months aft President Trump gave him clemency." Lang served 4 years successful situation aft wielding a shot bat connected January 6.

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On Monday morning, ABC’s Aaron Katersky again tagged right-wing extremists. The bombs were thrown "during the chaotic, dueling protests that were started by far-right provocateur Jake Lang nether the banner, ‘Stop the Islamic takeover of New York City’ that Mamdani denounced arsenic ‘rooted successful bigotry and racism.’" Katersky past added the weaponry plotters "told investigators they had watched ISIS propaganda videos and were determination to support Muslims."

On Monday’s "Today" programme connected NBC, newsman Sam Brock relayed that "both men allegedly made pro-ISIS statements during their arrest," but Brock tied the crowds to WABC’s "polarizing speech amusement host" Sid Rosenberg for calling Mamdani "a jihadist, earlier aboriginal apologizing." So, it’s not "polarizing" oregon "bigoted" to favour ISIS and privation Jews dead?

So, 1 broadside is "far-right" and "anti-immigrant," and the different can’t beryllium identified with an ideological oregon spiritual affiliation. 

It didn’t amended arsenic the communicative unfolded. CNN had to propulsion down a ludicrously florid tweet connected Monday astir the bomb-plotters, that "Two Pennsylvania teenagers" could person travel to New York "for a mean time enjoying the city’s abnormally lukewarm weather." This inspired a question of satires.

On Tuesday night, CNN primetime big Abby Phillip – followed minutes aboriginal by commentator Ana Navarro – wrongly suggested the people of the bombs was Mayor Mamdani. CNN newsman Edward-Isaac Dovere besides wrongly tweeted Mamdani was a target. So overmuch for "Facts First" CNN.

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By Wednesday night, Phillip offered a uncommon on-air correction. On Wednesday’s "CBS Evening News," anchor Tony Dokoupil offered a communicative connected "two heroic New York City Police officers who were conscionable steps distant from a smoking improvised weaponry connected Saturday, an attempted panic attack, according to the FBI." Jericka Duncan told the communicative of Aaron Edwards and Luis Navarro jumping into the breach to forestall a deadly weaponry explosion.

Ibrahim Kayumi, right, pictured handing an entity to Emir Balat, left. Both men were arrested connected March 7 aft allegedly attempting to weaponry a protestation successful New York City and pledging allegiance to the ISIS panic group. (Justice Department Office of Public Affairs)

Duncan explained "Chief Edwards says the way to this infinitesimal started with the 9/11 attacks." Edwards said "I saw conscionable constabulary and archetypal responders rushing to prevention people, and that inspired maine to instrumentality the test." But adjacent successful this cop-honoring story, the space of Islamic radicalism conscionable hung successful the background. The "M-Word" didn’t emerge.

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These cringing journalists person agelong assumed that Americans (and particularly conservatives) aren’t agleam capable to deliberation with nuance, that determination are galore guiltless Muslim Americans who person nary information toward oregon transportation to terrorism. That’s wherefore they person to skip implicit troubling facts.

That bias by omission extends to Mayor Mamdani’s grounds of extremist sentiments connected Israel, and caller reports that Mamdani’s woman Rama Duwaji "liked" social-media posts celebrating the slaughter of guiltless civilians by Hamas connected October 7, 2023. The broadcast networks skipped that, endorsing the mayor’s rotation that she’s a "private person." These 2 are someway not "far-left" oregon "bigoted" oregon extremist.

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