Behind the Scenes

Discussing the image of Muslims in the media, there should be an account of some of the major studies conducted on the topic. The analysis of media presentations of Muslims cannot but touch on the topic of the religious Other and the process of othering observed in the media. At the same time, it cannot neglect the studies of Edward Said (Orientalism. Vintage Books, New York, 1979) on Orientalism as the orientalist perception and understanding of Muslims are the prerequisites for some of the existing stereotypes and attitudes displayed by the general public. Thus, this section focuses on topics such as Otherness, Orientalism, Islamophobia and how these have been used by the media when presenting the image of Muslims. It should also be mentioned that the concepts are interdependent, as each one of them has its own specificity, at the same time, however, they are very close to one another. In addition, the wider scope of literature on media presentations of Muslims would provide a better ground for comparison and contrast of the strategies used by the Bulgarian and the British media in the presentation of the image of the religious Other.