What is ‘terrorism’? While the United Nations has no internationally agreed definition of terrorism, the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines terrorism as, “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives”.
But the term essentially boils down to and is often associated with any criminal act of violence that disturbs the state of peace, terrorizes and spreads fear. Creating panic and spreading fear and terror are inseparable aspects of terrorism. It forms the very foundation and breeding ground where terrorists thrive. This fear would not find it’s way into the people’s minds if it were not for the mainstream media. Terrorist organizations rely on and need media to spread their message, create an atmosphere of fear, recruit and communicate with followers and threaten potential targets.
When mainstream media reports on incidents of terrorism, it is rarely done in a way that is free of sensationalism in order to keep audiences captivated, boost ratings and circulation, and increase profits. It basically is publicizing that act of terrorism which terrorist organizations freely take responsibility in committing, thereby giving them more power. The impact and repercussions of their actions would be much lesser if they cannot get their message out.
Researchers and experts also believe that sensationalization of terrorist acts leads to increased levels of violence. The Global Terrorism Database listed 1,395 attacks in 1998, a figure that has steadily risen since then, reaching a record high of 8,441 in 2012. The total number of casualties from terrorist attacks in the past 15 years has soared from 3,387 to 15,396. At the same time, terrorist groups have increasingly sought to use the media to promote their agendas.
It does no good to the public when they tune into the news and see these horrific acts being performed with no hesitation, but it does a lot of good in encouraging the terrorists to do more.
The Islamic State is one such terrorist organization that has been and continues to be the topic of discussion on countless media. They are known for filming videos of themselves conducting inhumane actions like beheading, torturing and shooting people in cold blood etc. The videos are recorded for the sole purpose and a cruel intention of establishing fear. When these videos find their way onto social media and news channel broadcasts and get talked about in newspapers and other media, that purpose is achieved. Is there a need to empower these monsters by giving them a global platform for their cruelty? It does no good to the public when they tune into the news and see these horrific acts being performed with no hesitation, but it does a lot of good in encouraging the terrorists to do more.
Terrorist organizations like Taliban, al-Qaida, Boko Haram and ISIS are also quick to claim responsibility for attacks and acts of violence which a lot of the times are not even really committed by the organization claiming it (Bastille Day lorry attack in Nice, France). On receiving such claims, media houses rush to broadcast the news without first conducting a background check for facts on the claim. This fuels the already present panic and people start to fear the eventuality of another terrorist attack following it.
The derivation of all of this is that the media in many ways is dependent on terrorist groups for news content and the terrorist groups depend on the media to spread their agenda and survive on the fear that it helps disseminate. This menacing symbiotic relationship is inevitable but with a controlled and responsibly selective approach on reporting such sensitive issues, media can deprive the terrorists of the platform and strip them off this power.
