Terrorism and the Media: A Symbiotic Relationship

Rutherford Institute ^ | 4/18/13 | John W Whitehead

[illiac]

“The success of a terrorist operation depends almost entirely on the amount of publicity it receives.”—Walter Laqueur, Terrorism (1977)

Just imagine that you’re a terrorist with limited funds and you want to wreak havoc. You only have a few bombs, but you want your message broadcast to the world. How do you get the best bang for your buck? The answer is simple: turn the media into broadcasters for your acts of terrorism. (Rest assured, the politicians will also do their part to make the most of the moment and escalate a legitimate crisis into a full-blown political drama.)

As the recent terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon shows, the way for terrorists to broadcast their message to the world is to get the attention of the world media. Today’s terrorists know that they have the media at their disposal—CNN, FOX and the rest, including their online counterparts, are all at their beck and call—because today’s media outlets have 24 hours of airtime to fill, and what’s more salacious than the murder and mayhem of terrorism?

There is a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media—especially television media. Not long after Americans were alerted to the news of the Boston bombings, the coverage quickly escalated to a frenzied level, with every possible angle being covered, whether inane or newsworthy. From minute-by-minute updates on the bombings to reports on what the average American thinks about the bombings, there is little ground that has not already been covered mere days after the tragic event.

[illiac]

Interesting reading....

[Irenic]

Herostratos Syndrome

A long, long time ago, one of the world’s first historians told a story about a person who burned down one of the seven wonders of the world (the Temple of Diana) so that “his name shall live forever.” The historian’s account went like this: “I know his name, but will not write it.”
http://www.drtomoconnor.com/4050/4050lect07.htm

Terrorism For Self-Glorification: The Herostratos Syndrome [Hardcover]
http://www.amazon.com/Terrorism-Self-Glorification-Herostratos-Albert-Borowitz/dp/0873388186