Media representations of Islam and international Muslim student well-being

• Fills a gap in knowledge on the Muslim international student experience.
• Investigates perceptions of British media representations of Islam.
• Students perceive negative media representations of Islam.
• Representations negatively impact on student well-being.

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of British media representations of Islam. It offers a contribution to the literature on the international student sojourn by focusing on the unique experiences of the Muslim segment of that student body. International Muslim students perceived Muslim countries to be portrayed by the media as: (1) sympathetic to terrorism; (2) economically backward; (3) conservative. They believed that these representations led Muslims to be viewed by members of the host community with suspicion. This carried consequences for students’ self-esteem and sense of cultural identity. In order to correct misrepresentations portrayed by the media, some students took on the role of ambassador to promote the true face of Islam.