Media Influence on Terrorism
The media influence on terrorism in the context of heightening public awareness about the possibility of terror attacks has to be taken seriously. But the media should be totally aware of the need for objective reporting when writing about terrorism.
There are many Americans who will read the reports as currently presented but unless the public are specifically warned of an impending attack do not allow their lives to change in any significant way, largely because the items reported are from third hand reports from various experts who very often cannot agree with each other.
In a recent study among American citizens who admitted to being influenced by media reports of terrorist activities, and despite the tragic events of 9/11, there were about thirty percent who stated that they had taken their own steps to deal with such a situation.
Further large numbers of people openly stated that they felt no need to alter travel plans regardless of the media influence, and nearly forty five percent thought that attacks through the mail by letter bombs was minimal.
Many people interviewed stated that they were aware of possible terrorist activities in the US but complained that, although they were influenced by press announcements, they felt that the reports were ambiguous, not entirely specific, and gave little information as to what people should to in such an event.
In terms of being influenced by the media in the context of terror threats people generally are confused. The current reports of the killing of Osama Bin Laden point to that fact clearly.
The government deems it necessary not to make photographs of the event available, the media are clamoring for their release, and the ‘conspiracy’ merchants are only adding to the confusion surrounding the whole issue of the media, and its influences relating to reporting about terrorism.
Written by admin on October 10, 2011 under Media Influence.
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