Print media representation of Islam in the context of terrorism in Kenya: Implications on counter-extremism strategies

Abstract

In the 2025 Global Terrorism Index Report, the number of countries experiencing terrorist incidents increased from 58 to 66, with an evident upsurge in attacks. Kenya was ranked among the top 20 worst-hit countries in the world. Another report released by the Kenyan government in 2024 found that more than 500 lives had been lost to terrorism between 1998 and 2023. In these attacks, the media have linked terrorism to Islam, labeling Muslims as ‘terrorists’; associating them with broader violent networks, and reinforcing stereotypes that fuel radicalisation, targeting over 2 billion Muslims worldwide. Newspaper representations of Islam and Muslims as terrorism sympathisers have fueled Islamophobia and promoted harmful stereotypes targeting the Muslim population across the globe. These biased narratives have led to mistrust and discrimination, significantly undermining crucial counter-extremism strategies put in place by law enforcers and policymakers. Although this area has attracted many studies, the situation is still worsening globally, further risking alienation, radicalisation, and discrimination. The scenario, therefore, calls for more in-depth research to understand this phenomenon better and to provide solutions. This study, therefore, developed two objectives to unravel the research problem. It analysed how print media in Kenya represent Islam in the context of terrorism and then assessed the influence of such representations on counter-extremism strategies in Kenya. The study was guided by gatekeeping and social identity theories. It adopted a descriptive research design and mixed-methods approach for data collection, analysing 676 copies of The Standard and Nation newspapers for qualitative data, complemented by interviews with 24 key informants drawn from journalists, religious leaders, media scholars, and counter-terrorism/security experts. Quantitatively, the study measured the frequency of words and phrases linking Islam to terrorism. Findings have indicated that Kenya’s print media have represented Islam as a terrorism sympathiser.