The Independent Press Standards Organisation has produced the guidance, which outlines key questions for journalists to consider and includes relevant case studies.

The publication also offers contextual information about Muslims and Islam in the UK.

The guidance has been welcomed by Fiyaz Mughal, founder of two pressure groups – Faith Matters, which aims to get faith communities to work together against conflict, and Tell Mama, which supports victims of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate.

IPSO has previously produced similar guidance related to a range of issues including reporting deaths and inquests, major incidents, sexual offences, suicide, transgender issues and use of social media.

IPSO chief executive Charlotte Dewar, pictured, said: “Guidance helps editors and journalists to comply with the Editors’ Code by pulling together in one place information about how the Code applies to a particular issue. “We hope this latest piece of guidance, like other guidance we have issued in the past, will help editors and journalists to report on this important subject in a way that fulfils the high standards set by the Editors’ Code of Practice.”

Source: HoldtheFrontPage

Blaming the press, ECRI Chair Christian Ahlund, said: “It is no coincidence that racist violence is on the rise in the UK at the same time as we see worrying examples of intolerance and hate speech in the newspapers, online and even among politicians.”

The report makes a whopping 23 recommendations to Theresa May’s Government for changes to criminal law, the freedom of the press, crime reporting and equality law. And despite the report not analyzing coverage of the historic Brexit vote, Mr Ahlund saw fit to comment on the UK’s decision to leave the EU. The report lays into the British press and urges the government to “give more rigorous training” to reporters.

In the 83-page report, the Commission said: “ECRI considers that, in light of the fact that Muslims are increasingly under the spotlight as a result of recent ISIS-related terrorist acts around the world, fueling prejudice against Muslims shows a reckless disregard, not only for the dignity of the great majority of Muslims in the United Kingdom, but also for their safety.

“In this context, it draws attention to a recent study by Teesside University suggesting that where the media stress the Muslim background of perpetrators of terrorist acts, and devote significant coverage to it, the violent backlash against Muslims is likely to be greater than in cases where the perpetrators’ motivation is downplayed or rejected in favour of alternative explanations.”

Despite the creation of the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO) in 2014 as an independent regulator for newspapers and magazines, the “ECRI strongly recommends that the authorities find a way to establish an independent press regulator according to the recommendations set out in the Leveson Report. It recommends more rigorous training for journalists to ensure better compliance with ethical standards.” But as Britain prepares to leave the crumbling bloc, the Government waded in to defend freedom of expression…

Continue reading at: The Muslim Issue