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Panel Of Muslims In Media Say To Check, Verify News Sources

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A panel of Muslim journalists on Sunday told a full house of attendees at the American Islam College to start diversifying and verifying their news sources.

WBBM's Michele Fiore reports.

Panelists at the "Media and Islam in the Time of Trump" discussion said they have an unsettled feeling because of Donald Trump's Administration. Tahera Rahman works for a TV station and said it has been difficult being only Muslim in the newsroom. However, she added that journalists are still searching for the truth.

"It may seem like the media is against you, or against us sometimes, but we also want to get the truth out," said Rahman.

Aymen Abdel Halim told the panel that a third of Muslims in the U.S. fear for their safety, and it doesn't help that the president thinks the fact in "fake news." Halim advocated panel attendees to check if their sources are verified and to gather information from multiple outlets.

"We need to diversify, we're getting our information in bubbles and that becomes very dangerous because it narrows your world view," he said.

Rahman also encouraged Muslims to open up. She wants them to call their local media outlets and have their voices heard.

"Media in the Trump era is not just about Islamophobia, it's about everyone who is not in the white community feeling threatened," she said.

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