GB News viewers may not have heard of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM), but the CfMM has considerable influence – and may be about to be handed even more.
A new report by Policy Exchange, “Bad Faith Actor: A study of the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM)”, shows that the CfMM is incredibly active in assessing media coverage, then lobbying newspapers, broadcasters and online media, challenging what is said about both Muslims and Islam. It aims, in its own words, to “change the narrative”.
In a liberal democracy, the CfMM is of course free to lobby and campaign however it wishes to. That’s how the system works.
But the Policy Exchange report details examples that go well beyond critiquing a few weak stories or rushed articles.
It extends to criticising journalists doing exactly what they should be doing. For example, the CfMM said of the late journalist Andrew Norfolk “We are accustomed to Andrew Norfolk’s scapegoating of Muslims and Muslim civil society”.
The Muslim Council tried to silence GB News and lost. Now an enormous iceberg is on the horizon - Paul StottMuslim Council of Britain/PA Wire
Yet Norfolk’s work exposing grooming gangs was vital. Under the system the CfMM uses to assess articles, it categorised as “negative” an Associated Press report of an Islamist terror attack in Manchester, for using the phrase “knife-wielding man yelling Islamic slogans”.
Yet that was an entirely accurate account of what happened. Many of the articles CfMM research criticises as showing “antagonistic bias” were not actual news stories, but comment pieces. Yet by its very nature, opinion piece journalism is about opinion and therefore likely to display bias or to annoy someone.
If the CfMM do not like it, other media are available. There is now an enormous iceberg on the horizon in the shape of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia definition working group.
Established by Angela Rayner in February, it is tasked with coming up with a definition of Islamophobia within six months.
The Government has appointed ex-Tory Attorney General Dominic Grieve to head the working group. Given Grieve backed an earlier attempt to establish a definition, choosing him makes the process look very much like a done deal.
Rayner has said the group’s proposed definition would not be legally binding.
Yet once it is officially adopted, activists will seek both its spread and implementation. The CfMM would be armed as never before.
Labour has continued the policy of successive governments in refusing to engage with the Muslim Council of Britain.
Yet it may be about to hand a chilling power to the MCB’s creation – the CfMM – a definition of Islamophobia which limits what can – and cannot - be said on issues such as grooming gangs, terrorism and extremism.
Most Read
