The portrayal of Muslims as terrorists in shows such as 24 and Homeland has led to some highly publicized criticisms. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) accused 24 of stereotyping Muslims and Arabs as terrorists, insisting that “repeated association of acts of terrorism with Islam will only serve to increase anti-Muslim prejudice.” The producers and writers of 24 responded by noting that the show had “not singled out any ethnic or religious group for blame in creating the characters.” They added that “the villains have included shadowy Anglo businessmen, Baltic Europeans, Germans, Russians, Islamic fundamentalists, and even the (Anglo-American) president of the United States.” At one point during the show’s run, the Fox television network aired a public service announcement during a commercial break for one of the episodes. It featured the lead actor, Kiefer Sutherland, warning viewers about the dangers of stereotyping Muslims as terrorists.

XREF: Connects to broader media representation studies and debates about fictional shows promoting real-world prejudice. QUESTION: Did public service announcements demonstrably reduce anti-Muslim stereotyping among 24 viewers?

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 528