Every time there’s a flashpoint of division in this country, the finger gets pointed straight at the so-called “far right”. Politicians line up to denounce “extremists”, social commentators blame online echo chambers, and the cycle of outrage spins on. But let’s stop pretending for a second. The real gateway to radicalisation for most people isn’t some obscure Telegram group, it’s the mainstream media (MSM).
Choudary and the MSM Circus.
Take 2009. Anjem Choudary and his crew from Al-Muhajiroun hijacked headlines when they heckled soldiers returning from Iraq. It was ugly, disrespectful and enraging. But here’s the point: until the MSM plastered Choudary’s face across every front page and news bulletin, hardly anyone knew who he was.
It was wall-to-wall coverage, Choudary wants to take over Britain, Choudary says Sharia is coming, Choudary vows Islam will dominate the West. Broadcasters ran endless documentaries about him. Newspapers treated him like Britain’s bogeyman-in-chief. Even extremists uploaded their own content to fan the flames, which the press eagerly pointed to.
The result? The EDL was born, thousands of people felt validated in their anger, and Choudary’s profile skyrocketed. The MSM built him up as a monster, and then acted shocked when the public responded.
Immigration: Today’s Choudary
Fast forward to today, and the script is identical—only the headline act has changed. Immigration has become the new Choudary.
Every day the BBC, Sky, the tabloids, you name it, pump out stories about “migrant crises”, “floods” of people, “Britain at breaking point”. Politicians pile in with soundbites that could have been lifted straight from the mouth of Enoch Powell. News channels lap it up, run it on repeat, and sell it as sober analysis.
Then, when ordinary people voice concerns, they’re instantly slapped with the label “far right”. No discussion, no listening, just condemnation. And guess what? Those same people then drift towards platforms and movements where they can speak without being silenced, even if those spaces are extreme. The MSM lights the fire, then blames everyone else when the blaze spreads.
Stop Hiding, Start Owning
Let’s cut through the hypocrisy. The MSM thrives on fear. Fear sells papers, drives clicks, and boosts ratings. Whether it’s Choudary in 2009 or small boats in 2025, the formula hasn’t changed: exaggerate the threat, repeat it endlessly, and then sit back while society tears itself apart.
This isn’t responsible journalism. It’s radicalisation by proxy. And the gall of it is staggering: the very institutions that have spent years stoking division now posture as guardians against extremism.
Enough Scaremongering
If we want to break the cycle, the MSM needs to be called out. They can’t keep laundering sensationalism as “public interest reporting” while shrugging off the consequences. It’s time for honesty: people aren’t radicalised in a vacuum, they are radicalised by the constant drumbeat of fear hammered out by the very outlets who claim to be protecting democracy.
The solution isn’t more finger-pointing or more censorship. It’s allowing real, honest debates without the instant stigma of labels. Because if the media keeps pumping poison into the bloodstream of the nation, then don’t be surprised when society gets sick.
And if we don’t change course soon, we’ll be leaving our children a country not defined by community and resilience, but by suspicion and division, all courtesy of the nightly news.
@Newdaystarts
