A new study has uncovered entrenched discrimination against Muslim women in Britain’s media industry, revealing toxic workplace cultures, limited career progression, and the emotional toll of covering conflicts such as the war on Gaza.
The report, published by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) and entitled ‘Muslim Women in the Media: Breaking Barriers, Bearing the Burden’ was launched at a central London event and draws on anonymous responses from 102 Muslim women working across print, broadcast, and online media.
It found widespread Islamophobia, stereotyping, and structural exclusion, leaving many to question their future in journalism.
“I’ve never been so ashamed to call myself a journalist”, one respondent said, referring to newsroom coverage of Gaza.
Among respondents, 92 percent said negative attitudes towards Islam and Muslims are embedded within media organisations, while 72 percent reported experiencing direct discrimination linked to their Muslim identity.
85 percent said the coverage of the war on Gaza had harmed their mental health, with many questioning their future in the profession. Around 60 percent said they had considered leaving journalism altogether.
Double burden of visibility and erasure
The report highlights how Muslim women are caught in a paradox of “hypervisibility and exclusion”.
While diversity drives have increased their presence, many say they are pigeonholed into “Muslim stories” and denied editorial agency. Others reported being excluded from meaningful decision-making entirely – even at senior levels.
Visible markers of faith, such as wearing the hijab, were associated with higher levels of stereotyping and exclusion.
Nesrine Malik, a Guardian columnist and author, told the audience: “The political context in the last few years has been dire for Muslims. When you function under that level of securitisation of Muslims, particularly Muslim women, for so long, you forget that it exists and it just becomes the water that you are in.”
According to the report, 81 percent of respondents believe Muslim women are still unfairly represented in media content. Over a third (35 percent) said they were dissatisfied with their roles, citing tokenism and a lack of career progression.
Reporting on Gaza deepens the crisis
Coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza has become a major flashpoint. More than 85 percent of respondents said newsroom reporting on the conflict negatively affected their mental health. Some described coverage as “straight out of the Israeli army playbook”.
Many said their editorial concerns were ignored, creating what one respondent described as “a wall of silence”.
This comes amid a broader climate of rising anti-Muslim populism fuelled by ongoing global conflicts, from Gaza and Sudan to Kashmir, that shape the stories Muslim women are often expected to cover, frequently without adequate institutional support.
CfMM warned the sector could face a retention crisis if conditions do not improve. Many respondents said they were being pushed into freelance work or leaving journalism entirely due to burnout, stagnation, and workplace hostility.
“Muslim women are already shaping the media, often in spite of their institutions,” the report said. “But without meaningful change, many say they are disincentivised to stay.”
While 70 percent of respondents said their Muslim identity allows them to bring unique perspectives to their work, this “glimmer of hope”, as the report puts it, is overshadowed by deep-rooted structural barriers.
CfMM director Rizwana Hamid called on media executives and editors to take the findings seriously, warning that token diversity initiatives are not enough without systemic reform.
“Currently, there is no other community that is as vilified as Muslim communities are in the media,” she said.
Source: The New Arab
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