ABSTRACT
Crime is considered as a crucial component of the omnipresence of mass media communication. Through analysis, it is revealed that the majority of the newspapers within the sample initially reported the Woolwich murder based around press comments from Muslim' community members. This chapter sets out to consider whether, and to what extent, the print media reporting the murder of Lee Rigby may have influenced the rise in fear and moral panic against Muslim communities. The findings in this chapter indicate that the horrific murder of solider Lee Rigby caused extreme social tension in various Muslim communities, resulting to physical and violent encounters. Some online social media users later praised Lapshyn for his crimes and far-right ideology, hence further increasing hostility, bias and negative attitudes towards the Muslim population. Law enforcements current struggle to combat online Islamophobia is disadvantaged by criminal legislation.
