THE MEDIA AND TERRORISM: A REASSESSMENT

In: Terrorism and political violence, Band 9, Heft 2, S. 51-64

Abstract

THE AUTHOR BEGINS BY CHALLENGING MICHEL WIEVIORKA'S DISMISSAL OF THE CLAIM THAT THERE IS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TERRORISM AND THE MEDIA. TERRORISTS' MANIPULATION AND EXPLOITATION OF THE MEDIA IS SHOWN TO PLAY A CRUCIAL PART IN THEIR PROPAGANDA WAR. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY ARGUING THAT VOLUNTARY SELF-RESTRAINT AND SELF-REGULATION BY THE MEDIA ARE THE BEST POLICY OPTIONS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY IN REGARD TO THE MEDIA'S RESPONSE TO TERRORISM, BUT THAT THE MASS MEDIA NEED TO WORK HARDER AT DEVISING MEASURES OF SELF-RESTRAINT THAT ARE BOTH APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE.