Shaheen, Jack George, Jr., 1935-2017

Dr. Jack G. Shaheen (1935-2017) was a professor, author, and consultant who dedicated his career to identifying and contesting stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in American media. His research analyzes the origins of these stereotypes, their persistence, the ways in which they affect perceptions of Arabs and Muslims in society, and presents solutions to counter them effectively. He was a professor emeritus of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Illinois where he taught between 1969 and 1994, and was a Fulbright lecturer in Mass Communications at the American University of Beirut in 1974 and 1975 and at the University of Jordan in 1982.

Shaheen began his research into Arab stereotypes in 1974 and collected materials which contained Arab stereotypes, both negative and positive. He wrote books, popular and scholarly articles, and op-eds, and lectured at colleges and universities, private institutions, and at conferences and conventions. After the events of September 11, 2011, he documented and fought stereotypes of Muslims as well. His books include The TV Arab (1984), Guilty: Hollywood's Verdict on Arabs after 9/11 (2008), and Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2001), which was produced as a documentary in 2006. Shaheen worked as a consultant on legal cases and in the entertainment industry, most notably on the films Three Kings (1999) and Syriana (2005).