S4E5 Media racism: Faiza Shaheen, Palestine coverage, and the limits of representation

Media Storm

This week, Faiza Shaheen announced she has resigned from the Labour Party, after a shock email revealed she had been deselected as a candidate in this year's General Election.

The Labour Party candidate selection committee called into question tweets that Faiza had 'liked', some from 10 years ago. But behind the apparent distractions of old tweets is something far more sinister: what Faiza has described as “a systematic campaign of racism, Islamophobia, and bullying".

Are people of colour held to a higher standard in public and in the media? We discuss this, how the routine dehumanisation of brown skinned people has lead to desensitisation when it comes to coverage of Palestine, and why we need to push beyond 'representation'.

Plus, your round up of the headlines through a Media Storm lens - Government policies putting a dampener on Pride Month, a hidden story about Israeli interference in the ICC that didn't make it to the mainstream, does the media gives Nigel Farage a free pass, and was the viral AI-generated 'All Eyes on Rafah' image 'slacktivism'?

Joining Helena this week is GUEST HOST Coco Khan (Pod Save the UK)

We are joined in the studio by Sharan Dhaliwal, founder of feminist South Asian magazine Burnt Roti, and Shaista Aziz, ex-Labour councillor, journalist, and director of The Three Hijabis.

Hosts: Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia)

Music: Samfire (@soundofsamfire)

Assistant Producer: Katie Grant

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