Reiterating Anti-Muslim Rhetoric: Interview Practices of Fox News’ Hannity

Abstract

Analyzing interviews with Muslim guests on Fox News’ Hannity reveals biased practices that trigger anti-Muslim sentiment and rhetoric. Muslim guests are asked leading questions, cornered (asked off topic questions and forced to respond), accused with hedge-less statements, faced with the technique of “polls say,” and labelled as “you” versus “us.” The result of such anti-Muslim sentiment is audience who have not been given the chance to listen, but a chance to hate. This paper, thus, calls for transformation in action so that we pushback against this sentiment and rhetoric.