Muslim American Students and On-line News

• In Event: Media Literacy and Outreach in Ethnically Diverse High Schools

Abstract

This paper reports progress from journalism program for high-school students at a majority-Muslim American school. Ninety-eight percent of students are either Somali or Oromo; most are first in their families to be educated in the United States. As Muslims, the students are also religious minorities in the United States. The surge in news reporting on the Muslim world since 9-11 has not evinced many nuanced portraits of either American or foreign Muslim communities. Thus, many participating students are focused on creating an alternative to mainstream media discourse about their culture and community. Our goals are to: (1) encourage students to see themselves as agents in the sphere of media; (2) give them a closer look at various careers in communication; and (3) provide them opportunities to engage with journalism students and professionals.

Author

• Catherine Squires, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities