The Effects of Othering on Perceptions of Terrorism

Indianapolis, IN

The recent attacks that have taken place in the United States have been met with a variety of responses from the public, typically depending on the assailant’s ethnicity. Attacks committed by a Middle Eastern assailant often lead to intensified policy views as well as public opinion of Arabs and Muslims decreasing. In this study, I theorize that the reason the public tends to have more hostile views surrounding Middle Eastern people is because of the media othering both ethnicity and the Islamic faith. This changes the perception of what counts as terrorism which impacts people’s policy views. It is important to see these findings because they will indicate what role the media plays in an increasingly polarized society surrounding both policy and race.