Transcript Media and Terrorism - California State University, Bakersfield

Department of Criminal Justice
California State University - Bakersfield
CRJU 477
Terrorism
Dr. Abu-Lughod, Reem Ali
Role of the Media
Perspective of the Media:
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Objective news
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“media spin”
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Dramatizing the event? Tabloid, reality shows, etc…
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“news triage” when some news are given high priority
Perspective of the Government:
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Challenging policymakers
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Creating national consensus
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Who has more power on swaying public opinion
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Tension between all levels of government
Exploring the Role of the Media:
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Propaganda. What is it and how is it used
The media caught in the middle of providing news
to the public and disseminating T activity/msge
The objectivity of the media?
Publicizing the Cause:
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Reaching a broad audience
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Media-oriented terrorism
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Publicizing events and communicating a msge
The different forms of Media communication
PLEASE BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING FORMS OF MEDIA REPORTING
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Print Media
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Radio
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Television
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The Internet
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WHAT ABOUT THE “NEW MEDIA”
Deciding on HOW to report and in WHAT language
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Terrorist or Commando
Terrorists and terrorism subbed with guerillas and extremists
Euphemistic Language
Labeling Enemies and Targets
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Denouncing secular Arab governments as apostasies
Zionism
Self labeling
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Martyrs, freedom fighters, soldiers
The Participants:
PLEASE BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING
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The Terrorist
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The Supporter
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The Victim
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The Target
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The Onlooker
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The Analyst
Criticisms:
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Journalists sometimes cross the line between
reporting the news and disseminating terrorist
propaganda
Media's behavior sometimes shifts from objectivity
to sensational opinion
Media reaching large audiences may impact the
political environment
The Impact:
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Sending messages to T encouraging them for furthering
acts of violence
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Encouraging supporters
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Victims reacting
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International pressure
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Understanding from onlookers (may be sympathetic)
INFORMATION IS POWER
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Media as a Weapon
Case in point: Hezbollah and the Hijacking of
TWA Flight 847 (please be prepared to
discuss this in class)
The Contagion Effect
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Defined
Examples: taking of Western hostages in Lebanon
during the 1980s
Diplomatic and commercial kidnappings for
ransom and concessions in Latin America during
the 1960s and 1970s
Regulating the Free Press
Journalistic self-regulation or Media Gatekeeping
EXAMPLE: in Great Britain, the Official Secrets Act permitted
the prosecution of individuals for the reporting of
information that was deemed to endanger the security of
the British Government
Concluding Remarks:
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The CNN effect
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Media at Stake
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What the Media chooses to report and How
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The impact on perception