Aug. 31, 2007: Just released South Korean hostages wait for a flight to Dubai at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Nineteen Korean nationals were freed by Taliban kidnappers as the South Korean government denied allegations of paying a ransom to end the six-week standoff. (AP Photo/ Yonhap, Kang Hun-sang)
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Media's Inadvertent Backing of Terrorism
By Hyunhee Park
By reporting terrorist actions the media help terrorists achieve their goals; the media are used as terrorists' tools. Media coverage of terrorist acts influence public opinion, which can then be powerful enough to pressure government action. For this reason, media coverage of the terrorist act is often the main goal for the terrorists -- rather than the act itself.
Author of the book Mass-Mediated Terrorism Brigette Nacos defines terrorism as "political violence against noncombatants that is committed with the intention to publicize the deed." The important point here is that the publicity is the aim. In this sense, media are the perfect tool for the terrorists, because their messages simultaneously reach the public and embarrass the government. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Game, Eric Robert Rudolph committed a bombing in Centennial Olympic Park that killed one person and left more than a hundred casualties. In his later statement, Rudolph admitted that the purpose of the attack was to "embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion."
Besides sending a message to a government, as Rudolph intended, terrorists seek media coverage for other goals as well. They may want to publicize the deed internationally, instill fear to create polarization and confusion, destabilize a government to demonstrate its vulnerability, or goad a government into certain action. In the summer of 2007, 23 Korean missionaries were abducted by the Taliban in Afghanistan. This immediately caught media attention and aroused a high level of fear among the Korean public. This, in turn, heightened expectations of the public toward the Korean government to save the hostages, which clashed with the government's policy not to negotiate with terrorists.
Terrorism + Media Coverage = PTSD
By Nathan Gottlieb
According to the National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a national survey of U.S. adults taken 3-5 days after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 reported that adults watched on average eight hours of television related to the bombings. In the same survey, adults reported that their children watched on average three hours of television related to the bombings. The result? Adults and children who watched the most coverage exhibited higher levels of PTSD symptoms.
Then why don't the media avoid covering terrorism? The answer is simple. The terrorist actions are newsworthy. One of the overlooked facts is that media institutions are just like any other corporations that seek profits. In terms of good ratings and circulation, the media constantly strive for dramatic images that will capture the audience's attention. In Korea, during the time of the Taliban abduction, there was important news regarding the upcoming inter-Korean Summit. However, with the intense public attention toward the Taliban hostage situation the Summit meeting reports were unusually marginalized.
But this doesn't mean that the journalists are like hungry lions seeking zealously for game. Journalists don't find terrorism; terrorism finds journalists. There are various news management strategies that the terrorists exploit to successfully attract attention. Of course, the violence has to be spectacular enough for media to take notice. Often terrorists consider a time and place convenient to media access. Committing acts with symbolism also gathers media attention - such as the choice of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon for the 9/11 attack.
Unfortunately, the use of media as a terrorist tool is increasing. Owing to the symbiotic relationship between the media and the terrorists, terrorism continues.