The British media has a problem with Muslims. We just can’t get enough of them.

There is a good reason for this – a story about Muslims is more likely to be read on a website than any other type of news.

Muslims now probably rival sex related stories when it comes to encouraging clicks.

There is a reason why posting stories that have ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam’ in the headline is welcomed by most newspaper editors. It encourages more people to visit your website and if you can find a story where Muslims or Islam is deemed to be challenging British values you have struck gold.

These readers may agree with the story whilst others may be reading just through fascination.

You only have to scroll through major news websites and find ‘Muslim’ and ‘Islamic’ stories performing far better than other stories. And where possible, you can then view the vile comments beneath these stories.

This, some people will say is all about freedom of speech. Journalists have a right to pen such stories and readers have a right to share their views no matter how we might feel about them.

Of course no-one is suggesting ignoring terror attacks or cases where deranged individuals have looked to butcher people. Even this very news site has ensured such issues are never just brushed under the carpet. in the hope they will go away.

But in the past decade journalists have been encouraged to brush up articles and broadcasts in the hope of causing ‘debate’ about Muslims. From local news to national websites, whole newsrooms have evolved ensuring you post stories with little or no relevance other than that they have Islam as the focal point.

This culture has been endemic in newsrooms where journalists can begin to believe this is actually part of their job.

So, they can’t possibly be doing anything wrong? Right?

The past decade has seen vast amounts of anti-Muslim content produced by reliable British newspapers and broadcasters. This content is then re-posted by far-right organisations like Britain First, whose leaders were recently convicted of racial harassment.

I would go as far as to say that some newsrooms have become so desperate to increase views on their websites they almost silently revel in the fact that the content is re-posted in this way.

This culture has been allowed to pervade because the media is the only industry that continues to self-regulate and has no intention of putting a new generation of thinkers in positions of influence.

Some national newspapers, and sadly they are most well read, are still stuck in pre-war thinking. Where British values are more to do with religion and colour than with one’s actions.

This has continued to fester due to many newsrooms still being filled by white middle-class journalists.

There is a huge problem with diversity in newsrooms and the media is unlikely to face up to it. It has no desire to face up to this because to do so would mean we as an industry have to realise that we have been very wrong.

We have permitted hate filled columns and articles to hit the front pages. We have encouraged this culture of producing content for both print and television which did not reach any journalistic standards.

In many ways we have been pressured to print and broadcast these stories because this is what has got the readers and the viewers. Much of it though was not pretty. Was not quality journalism. It was done to appease those in charge and their belief that this was journalism.

Some might suggest that Muslims deserve this undue attention because of terror attacks and terror related cases. But do they?

Should I really be here writing about the great British press and accuse them of inciting racial hatred through their efforts to produce Islam related stories.

You know you do it. We know you do it. Maybe 2018 is a year this could change. I wouldn’t bank on it though.