The Effects of the Media on Terrorism

Paper Summary:

Acts of anti-American terrorism are becoming increasingly common and more and more are occurring on American soil, according to Columbia political scientist Brigitte L. Nacos. According to Nacos, the rise in terrorism is not a matter of flawed national security. It has more to do with the success that terrorists have enjoyed in exploiting the relationships among the media, public opinion and political decision-making. This paper addresses the effects of the media on terrorism. It shows that according to Nacos, government policy is often shaped by terrorist action, even in cases where a conflict of interest between the safety of hostages and the interests of the nation exists. This paper examines the media's influence on terrorism, to determine whether or not the media should provide less coverage of terrorism or if they should continue to report the news.

From the Paper:

"While the democratic nature of the U.S. obviously offers more freedom and choices, it also places a great deal of pressure on the government to please the people. For example, President Jimmy Carter's failure to resolve the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979-80 contributed to his loss when he ran for re-election in 1980 (Morgan, 2002). Many Americans had watched him on television during coverage of the terrorist event and decided that he was an ineffective negotiator and leader.

However, many researchers argue that it was media coverage that pressured Carter into launching a poorly planned rescue mission, despite the fact that the military estimated only a 65 percent success rate. This shows the effect of the media on terrorism, and how terrorists use the media to influence the public and decision-makers (Nacos, 1994, pp.140-41)."

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