An e-petition has been launched urging the government to tackle Islamophobia in the mainstream media.

The petition has been set up by a group of concerned citizens who wish to urge the government into holding the press accountable for irresponsible reporting practices that unfairly denigrate Islam and ethnic minority communities.

In order for this issue to be debated in the House of Commons, the petition must gather 100,000 signatures.

The e-petition states, “A Channel 4-backed Cardiff University study found that 4 of the 5 most common discourses used about Muslims in the British press" from 2000-8 associate Islam/Muslims with threats, problems or in opposition to dominant British values. Former tabloid reporters confirm that editors force journalists to fabricate news denigrating Muslims and immigrants.

“This undermines cohesion, alienates minorities, and fuels violence. The last decade has seen an exponential rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes, including violent assaults - and 1 in 3 Britons agree the media is whipping up a climate of fear of Islam in the UK.

“We the undersigned insist that Islamophobia and racism in the British media are an unacceptable affront to democratic principles and British values. We demand that the press be held accountable for irresponsible reporting which demonises faith and ethnic communities wholesale.”

For those who would like to sign the e-petition, the link can be found at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32045