For many Americans, entertainment media is their primary, and often only, source of information about Muslims. What appears on screen shapes not just perception, but public support for policy.
How Muslims are portrayed in entertainment media directly influences Americans’ support for anti-democratic and anti-Muslim policies. A 2025 ISPU study found that positive portrayals of Muslims lead to greater opposition to anti-democratic policies that curtail civil liberties for all Americans, as well as to anti-Muslim policies specifically (e.g., mosque surveillance, Muslim travel bans), and foster more positive interpersonal attitudes toward Muslims overall.
While news media shapes public perception through coverage of current events, entertainment media, which Americans consume an average of 32 hours per week, has a powerful influence on attitudes toward Muslims. This is particularly significant given that most Americans do not know a Muslim personally, according to Pew Research. Regardless of whether or not someone knows a Muslim, for many, their primary and often only source of information about Muslims and Islam comes from what they see in entertainment media or on their social media platforms.
Across both television, film, and streaming platforms, Muslims face systematic erasure and stereotyping. The study Erased or Extremists: The Stereotypical View of Muslims in Popular Episodic Series analyzed 200 popular television shows aired between 2018 and 2019, while Missing & Maligned: The Reality of Muslims in Popular Global Movies examined 200 top-grossing films from 2017 to 2019. Together, these studies reveal a consistent pattern of underrepresentation and misrepresentation.
Source: USC Annenberg
were missing Muslim characters (181 of 200)
Source: USC Annenberg
Source: USC Annenberg
Source: USC Annenberg
Film portrayals particularly relegate Muslims to the past or to “foreign” settings:
Source: USC Annenberg
Despite these troubling trends, there are signs of progress. The growing presence of Muslim writers, producers, and actors in the entertainment industry has led to more complex and authentic Muslim portrayals. Recent productions such as Hulu’s Ramy, Netflix’s Mo, and Disney’s Ms. Marvel center Muslim protagonists whose faith and cultural heritage are integral to their storylines, offering a stark contrast to the erasure and extremism documented in these analyses. Ramy portrays the messy and complicated lives of Muslims struggling with their religious identity in the United States, resulting in characters that do not fall neatly into the “good Muslim/bad Muslim” dichotomy.
ISPU’s 2025 study Stereotypes on Screen: The Effects of Muslim Portrayals in Entertainment Media on Attitudes Toward Democracy and Policy examined the real-world consequences of these portrayals. The study randomly assigned nearly 700 Americans to watch either a positive or negative portrayal of Muslims from popular television shows and then measured their subsequent attitudes and policy preferences.
Compared to those who watched negative portrayals of Muslims, viewers of positive portrayals showed the following:
The way Muslims are portrayed in entertainment media shapes Americans’ views on policies affecting both Muslims and all Americans more broadly. Positive portrayals are shown to have an impact beyond Muslims, protecting democratic ideals; however, the limited presence of positive Muslim portrayals in mainstream entertainment means these beneficial effects are unlikely to manifest widely unless representation improves significantly.
The following recommendations apply to various roles across the entertainment industry, including writers, directors, producers, executives, agents, casting directors and talent search, wardrobe and makeup artists, art and sound producers, and institutional leaders. Consider which actions are within your sphere of influence and how you can implement them in your work. The recommendations below are adapted from Missing and Maligned: The Reality of Muslims in Popular Global Movies, Stereotypes on Screen: The Effects of Muslim Portrayals in Entertainment Media, and input from toolkit advisors.
Work with Muslim artists to develop narratives that center the diverse experiences of Muslim characters. Studio executives and decision-makers should create portrayals that depict Muslim joy and celebration.
Deepen portrayals by showcasing Muslims as multidimensional, with faith as only a part of a character’s identity. Consider using the Riz Test to assess whether or not your characters are unidimensional or multidimensional. Develop stories that allow Muslim characters to participate in nuanced ways to expand how audiences think about Muslims, and consider the implications of your creative choices in representing Muslims and other minorities.
Avoid relying on false tropes when portraying Muslim characters, such as Muslims as extremists, violent, uncivilized, or in opposition to normative values.
Include Muslim characters in roles emphasizing their normal, day-to-day participation in broader society. For example, as teachers, local government officials, business owners, fellow travelers, and other everyday roles. Cast Muslims for roles otherwise written for a non-Muslim character, whether their religious identity is overtly highlighted or not.
Hire community consultants when developing Muslim characters. Engage consultants who possess a combination of lived experience as Muslims and deep knowledge of Muslim communities, the storytelling process, and real world impacts of media portrayals.
Ensure Muslims are hired for roles across the creative process, such as writers, directors, executives, set design, wardrobe supervisors, and makeup.
Writers, producers, and showrunners should work with researchers to embed storylines that positively influence viewers on outcomes such as views and warmth toward Muslims, acceptance of diversity and inclusivity, and lower acceptance of discriminatory policies.
Artist incubators such as film festivals, lab programs, and film schools should include opportunities to develop the unique voices and perspectives of Muslims while also spotlighting their work. Grant-based programs should provide support and resources for Muslim creatives to hone their talents.
Consider the following questions about your own work and creative environment:
Stereotypes on Screen — the effects of Muslim portrayals in entertainment media on attitudes toward democracy and policy. Ready to share, print, and present.
Islamophobia is a form of discrimination, bias, and racism against Muslims and consequently those who appear to be Muslim that relies on stereotypes of Muslims and Islam that can result in their unequal treatment. Islamophobia is structural and can be seen in American social structures, laws and policies, media narratives, and ideologies. It also exists in interpersonal interactions between individuals that result in the unjust treatment of Muslims and those misidentified as Muslims in society.
