ABSTRACT
Some
eminent writers and scholars argue that too often the media helps promote
terrorists' agenda. Others, however, disagree. I tend to go with the former,
and in this short Paper, will show how terrorism can be seen from at least two
perspectives, those of the victim and the perpetrator. Using three examples, I
will prove that the media would not mind terrorist acts coming up on their own
on the agenda, however distasteful and disagreeable they may seem, as much as
the terrorists want the media, as it suits the interests of both these parties.
THE STORY
The
horrific events of 9/11 brought terrorism centre stage. Terrorism had existed
well before that date, but remained largely underplayed, till Uncle Sam got
bearded in his own den. Without attempting to add to the plethora of definitions
of terrorism, let me just say that there is a fundamental difference in the way
it is seen, related purely to perspective. The victim and the perpetrator
portray an incident affecting them quite differently.
For example, US media might say, “Terrorists
detonated a bomb near the camp of the U.S. peacekeeping forces, causing
numerous U.S. military casualties.” Arab media would report it as: “Freedom
fighters detonated a bomb near the base of the crusaders. The tremendous blast
killed and severely injured many infidels.”(n.p.)
A free press is a mandate in a democracy. If
the content available was not salutary, the media would still report it.
Terrorism uses this mandate to further its own aim by spreading fear. A
terrorist organization actually needs the media to spread information about
localized attacks as widely as possible. In the cause of reporting, or at
times, hogging the limelight, the media does exactly what the terrorist wants. Paradoxically,
terrorism has become a boon for the media, because such attacks make television
ratings surge. “Terrorist acts are well calculated, always played to an
audience and specific tactics employed to maximize impact” (Bozarth, 2005).
There
are people who feel that the media brings the world up to date and educates
people about the ills of terrorism and how it is crucial to lend a hand against
this ugly monster. I do not agree and believe that the media is only interested
in its ratings, ‘damn the consequences’ (n.p.).
I will use three examples to support my argument.
Since 1960, advancement in technology had
affected the media greatly, giving it a face and voice, not just events
reported on black and white paper. The nature of terrorism reporting had also
evolved simultaneously. While aimed to promote terror in a larger target
audience, terrorism often aims to recruit more supporters. The media is the
conduit to both these aims. Terrorism ‘relies almost exclusively on
psychological “warfare” for its intended impact. Victims of an attack are the
signal that is amplified
and broadcast, terrorizing the target audience into capitulating to the
terrorists demands’ (Bozarth, 2005). “Terrorists are not interested in three,
or thirty – or even three thousand - deaths. They allow the imagination of the
target population to do their work for them. In fact, the desired panic could
be produced by the continuous broadcast of threats and declarations – by radio
and TV interviews, videos and all the familiar methods of psychological warfare”
(Ganor 2002).
Terrorists have “four media-dependent
objectives when they strike or threaten to commit violence. The first is: Gain
attention, intimidate, create fear. The second is: Recognition of the
organization’s motives. Why they are carrying out attacks? The third is: Gain the
respect and sympathy of those in whose name they claim to attack. The last is:
Gain a quasi-legitimate status and media treatment at par with legitimate
political actors” (Nacos 2007, 20). Many cases confirm that ‘getting attention
through the media is important terrorist strategy. The 7 July 2005 London
bombings on the transit system in London is one example, with the G-8 summit on
in Scotland. The terrorists pushed the G-8 leaders off the front pages’ (Ibid,
20-21).
The Palestinian terrorist organization Black
September attack on Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympic Games 1972, when
people around the world were watching the Games and large numbers of newspaper
and broadcast journalists had gathered, is another example. A hostage situation and a rescue attempt ensued,
closely covered by all media, and watched by approximately 800 million people
throughout the world. The terrorists “monopolized the attention of a global
television audience. (Ibid, 179). “Black September undoubtedly chose Munich at
the time of the Olympics because the technology, equipment, and personnel were
in place to guarantee a television drama that had never before been witnessed
in the global arena.” (Nacos 2002, 177).
The images of attacks like 9/11, can inspire awe.
For instance, “after 9/11, Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden have become more popular in
the Muslim community” (Gunaratna, 2006). “Simply by showing that he and his
kind could land a devastating blow against the US on home ground, bin Laden
conditioned a large number of young Muslim men – mainly in the Muslim diaspora
in western Europe – for recruitment into his cause without ever meeting them.”
(Nacos 2007, 22).
The Internet can be and has been used
terrorists for cyber-terrorism, coordination of plans, communication with
cells, or propaganda and information. That they can now manage their own media
is not the only advantage they have in using the Internet. “There are other
advantages in using the Net. The audience is enormous; it is easy to access and
stay anonymous, it is incredibly fast and inexpensive, and it offers a
multimedia environment, which means that text, graphics, video, songs, books,
and presentations can all be combined. In addition, regular media now often
report on or even copy Internet content, which means that both old and new
media can be influenced by using the Internet alone” (Weimann 2004, 3).
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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