Examining the Interplay of Media, Terrorism, and Government Policies

This report examines the intricate relationship between media, terrorism, and government responses. It highlights the critical role media plays in shaping public perception, influencing government policies, and providing a platform for terrorist organizations. The report analyzes how media coverage, particularly of events like the 9/11 attacks, can amplify the impact of terrorism, leading to increased fear and potentially influencing the strategies employed by both terrorists and governments. It discusses the symbiotic relationship where terrorists seek media attention and governments struggle to control the narrative. The report also touches upon the challenges posed by media coverage during live operations and the ethical considerations involved in reporting on terrorism. The report utilizes references to support its arguments, offering a comprehensive analysis of the subject.

GOVERNMENT

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Media and Terrorism
Media is an important stakeholder of the society and plays a critical role in the war against
the Terror. People see things as the way in which media shows it. If the Media helps the
government then it is always easier for the government to fight against terrorism. The media
puts pressure on the government which forces the government to take strict actions against
terrorism (Seib & Janbek, 2010). If the government imposes some strict laws or does some
strict actions it is always easier for the governments to keep on doing it even when it is
affecting the common people also. The role of media is also get critical in terms of the fact
that without media coverage it is not easier for the people to know about the threat and hence
avoiding any kinds of terrorist attacks is not possible. The best example of it can be
understood by the example of 9/11 attack. After this terrorism came on the cover page of the
western media before that people understood it to be the problem of some specific places
only (Freedman & Thussu, 2011). It is due to this western countries also started thinking of
the terrorism and started taking measures against it and countries like USA started war
against the terrorism and people there started talking about it.
It is obvious that terrorism and media has a symbiotic relationship. This is true in terms of the
fact that media produces the reports related to the terrorism and the terrorist also wants that
their attack should get the coverage. If the terrorist attacks do not get media coverage then it
is understood to be the small attack. The bigger the attack the bigger is its media coverage
and the bigger the support they get from the people who funded these attacks (Nacos, 2016).
This is why the media personnel can go and interview the terrorists where the state police or
armies also not able to go. There are examples of attacks in which media coverage had to stop
because terrorists and their controllers were making strategies while seeing the live
operations of the television. The biggest benefits the terrorists receive are from the aggressive
media as they are over portraying the issues and build fear in the minds of people.

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References
Freedman, D., & Thussu, D. K. (Eds.). (2011). Media and terrorism: global perspectives.
Sage.
Nacos, B. (2016). Mass-mediated terrorism: Mainstream and digital media in terrorism and
counterterrorism. Rowman & Littlefield.
Seib, P., & Janbek, D. M. (2010). Global terrorism and new media: The post-Al Qaeda
generation. Routledge.