LONDON, 10 March. - (ANA) - Research by the Centre for Media Monitoring found that almost 20,000 articles contained 'measurable bias' against Muslims in 2025.

 

Almost half of all articles about Muslims in the UK in 2025 contained "measurable bias", research by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) revealed, in a landmark study examining how British Muslims are portrayed.

 

By analysing 40,913 articles published across 30 major UK news outlets last year, the organisation found almost 20,000 pieces contained varying degrees of bias against Muslims, meaning that readers and viewers are routinely denied balanced and accurate information.

 

CfMM, dedicated to analysing and reporting on media representation of Islam and Muslims, also found that 70 percent of the media analysed contains information that associates Muslims and/or Islam with negative themes including crime, extremism and conflict.

 

The publications showing the most "harmful patterns" of coverage include The Spectator, which had the highest concentration of anti-Muslim bias, with the group noting the coverage suggests its bias was "near-universal, rather than exceptional", followed by GB News and The Telegraph.

 

Right-leaning media outlets such as The Telegraph and The Daily Mail published the highest number of 'Very Biased' articles against Muslims, GB News displayed an "extreme bias", with public broadcaster the BBC showing the lowest levels of bias.

 

"Language of distortion" used by these papers includes "Islamist Jew-haters", "Islamist threat to Western civilisation", "gangs of Muslim men".

 

The organisation also highlights the consistent research showing a correlation between Muslims being negatively shown in the media and rising levels of hate crime towards the group and public support for restrictive policies.

 

The group highlighted the coverage of the Bondi Beach attack, where 15 people were murdered following a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration in Australia, showing a "troubling pattern of reporting" that exploits the tragedy to "advance a broader anti-Muslim narrative while simultaneously delegitimising protests against military actions in Gaza". This was despite one of the heroes of the massacre being a Muslim himself.

 

CfMM revealed that 136 "biased articles" were published in just four days, suggesting "something systematic rather than isolated editorial misjudgements".

 

The organisation also notes questionable coverage when reporting on crime and exploitation, misrepresentation of Eid al-Fitr celebrations and exploiting anti-misogyny policy to target Muslims.

 

CfMM links the bias to a lack of Muslim representation in editorial teams and decision-making roles, entrenched news practises that favour sensational, conflict?driven stories and ties to wider hostility.

 

"As the largest study of its kind ever conducted in the UK, this report presents deeply concerning evidence of structural bias in how Muslims are portrayed in the UK press," Rizwana Hamid, Director of CfMM, said in a statement.

 

"When entire communities are repeatedly framed through lenses of suspicion or threat, it inevitably shapes public attitudes, political debate and the everyday lives of British Muslims."

 

CfMM last year released a report revealing the systemic discrimination faced by Muslim women in the UK media.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/10 March 2026 - - -