The role of media in terrorist actions

¶ … Media in Terrorist Actions

In today's increasingly globalized and increasingly violent world, terrorist actions have come to the forefront of the American public's minds. With the advent of September 11th, gone is the false sense of security American's had enjoyed for decades, believing their borders were safe from foreign attack. In its place are new governmental departments, more comprehensive airport security procedures, and a media that is ever present. This paper will investigate the role of the media in terrorist actions.

Terrorism and the Media - a Balancing Act between the Freedom of the Press and National Security:

The roles and responsibilities of the media when covering a terrorist event varies depending on whose perspective one considers. Whether it is the terrorists, the government, or the media themselves being considered, three different sets of answers are often found, and these differing viewpoints often drive behavior during a terrorist action, which can result in both a tactical and strategic gain for the terrorists themselves. For this reason, it is important "to develop policy options designed to serve the interests of government, the media and the society" (Perl).

Terrorism is not effective without publicity. If a terrorist organization blows up a building, yet no one learns of their action, it does not garner them attention, instill fear in their enemies, or gain them favorable understanding for their cause. For terrorists, the publicity of an event is, in some respects, more important than the event itself. Nacos gives the example of the terrorism attacks on America, on September 11th. This, "was a perfectly choreographed production aimed at American and international audiences" (13). For the most part, they thrive on a free media that are allowed to cover their terrorist events without restraint, especially restraint from the government (Perl).

Regretfully, the increasingly violent terrorist attacks coupled with increased numbers of terrorist attacks on media personnel themselves, has led to a need for specific action to be taken in order to prevent the media "from furthering terrorist goals as a byproduct of vigorous and free reporting" (Perl). This is a fine balancing act for the government, the media, and society in general. Neither of the three want to see the promotion of terrorism, and neither of the three want to see the erosion of free dom of the press. However, there must be a point where the media is providing honest coverage, yet they are not giving an advantage to terrorist organizations.

As Rubin, Haridakis, Hullman, and Sun note, there has also been concern that the coverage of terrorism is distressing for viewers and increases fear, thereby perpetuating exactly what the terrorists want. Fear and fright can come from the basic human reaction to the portrayal of events that are distressing. In fact, research has established a relationship between the media and the fear of crime. "Fear is an emotional response closely tied to feelings of safety and faith in others" (128). Fear is felt, according to Rubin, Haridakis, Hullman, and Sun, when the media depicts frightening events that are perceived to be likely or possible, which can lead to an overestimation of the event's effects.

The news coverage of the terrorist actions on September 11th were dramatic and had the added dimension of reality. To compound the effects, "the media constantly depicted further terrorist acts as possible, if not likely" (Rubin, Haridakis, Hullman, & Sun 128). It was these television messages, that the researchers theorized would lead to people being even more fearful, whiled increasing their mistrust of others, and decreasing their feelings of safety. However, Rubin, Haridakis, Hullman, & Sun found otherwise. Their study showed most of the young adults that they surveyed were not fearful, and instead felt generally safe, despite the ever-present media coverage of terrorist attacks and the war on terrorism (128).

Terrorism and the Media - Fostering Community Connections and the Dissemination of Important Information:

Although the unfettered media can sometimes give terrorists an advantage by revealing security information and by giving them the publicity that their actions thrive upon, the media also can be used during and immediately following a terrorist action as a means of building connections amongst people in society, as well as their efforts in disseminating important information. Following the tragedies of September 11th, the media was key in telling the stories of those who were directly affected. This coverage transformed individuals that may have been living on the other side of the country into connected members of a broader community. The medias participation in neighborhood discussions and community organizations were invaluable following this tragic time (Cohen, Ball-Rokeach, Jung, & Yong-Chan 221).

In addition, the media has been key in disseminating important information to the public. Coverage of the attacks on America, on September 11th, were reported in real time. The media has become an important part of the country's communication infrastructure, being the first to report changes in security procedures as well as changes in the alert status for the country in general (Cohen, Ball-Rokeach, Jung, & Yong-Chan 221).

During the first hours following the attacks on the World Trade Center, television was the only source of information. With the absence of national leaders, the media were relied upon in those first hours to interpret the events unfolding.

In the longer run, the media played their usual role. They informed the public on many aspects of the crisis and served both as an outlet for demonstrations of solidarity and a platform for the exchange of opinions. As in the Gulf War, there were explicit limits to what was reported. The violent confrontations between Allied forces and the Taliban largely took place outside the scope of the international cameras (Rosenthal 129).

Approximately one month following the attacks of September 11th, 91% of survey respondents indicated that television news was a useful source of information regarding terrorist actions (Stempel & Hargrove 55).

Terrorism and the Media - the Future:

It is the job of the media to make sense of the confusion and conflicts that surround terrorism, and to explore the implications of terrorism dispassionately. As John O'Sullivan notes, "(I)t is certainly not the job of the media to be anyone's cheerleader" (74). The media will be expected to be courageous in times of terrorist actions. By having courage, they will find it easier to be honest and incorruptible. They will also need to be truthful. Truth is the overriding duty of all journalists. Truth "is nine-tenths of the journalistic ethics (a journalist) needs to know" (75), especially in times of terrorism. With these two virtues in hand, the future role of media during terrorist actions will be to have the courage to report the truth, while balancing the good of society at the tip of their pen.

The ubiquitous media has more power than ever before, and perhaps more power than they sometimes realize. The mediazation of terrorist attacks and the crisis management that follows must remember that "if men define a situation as real; it will be real in its consequences" (Rosenthal 129). This means that if the media defines a situation as a crisis, then it will indeed become a crisis in all of its consequences.