A radically new media phenomenon emerged almost immediately after President Trump first initiated his 90-day travel ban on residents of seven countries. Both print media and television name each designated country, followed by the expression “Muslim- majority countries” as a descriptor. Mimicking our media, Google has almost endless references to “Muslim-majority” states. In American media, however, labelling countries by religion has been rare. Indeed, it would have been deemed an affront.

Consider first how such practice might have affected past reporting. For example, after some tough exchanges between presidents, our media did not report American tensions with Mexico, “a Catholic-majority country.” In 2008, when our ambassador was evicted from Bolivia, no mention was made of that country’s religious majority. When President Obama made overtures to Havana, references to the warming relations with Cuba never included a “Catholic-majority” label. And when the U.S. failed to veto a U.N. measure against Israel, it was not reported to be as “a Jewish-majority” state.