Terrorism and the Mass Media: A symbiotic relationship?

Abstract

Over the last two decades, the influence of the mass media has grown enormously. People from all over the world are now able to collect information about all kinds of issues from a wide variety of sources, including television, the internet and newspapers. Terrorists seek to publicize their cause, influence public opinion and have become aware of the impact of mass media. Terrorist groups have thus discovered the usefulness of the mass media. On the other hand, media outlets seek to meet the needs of their consumers by providing stories that contain a number of specific elements: dramatic incidents, emotional resonance, or some highly disturbing aspect. Stories that directly affect the audience have also been found to have the greatest impact. On the basis of these well-established findings, we posit a symbiotic relationship between mass media and terrorist organizations. This symbiosis has certain implications for our societies. These implications, and the media's proper role in society, will be discussed.