1. DOES british tv
FUEL TERRORISM?
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS?
introduction
conclusion
content analysis
Terrorism is
“an intensely
media-specific
phenomenon,”
Post, 2007
It could be said that modern news media thrives
on action and controversy. Television broadcast
in particular seem to sensationalise stories to
increase ratings and have become obsessed with
covering violence and scandals to grab the
attention of their viewers. A common area to
appear amongst these is the coverage of
terrorist attacks, which in turn grants radicals
access to their large audiences. Jerrald Post
(2007) describes the media as“…the agents of
the terrorists, the megaphones of the terrorists”.
It could be argued that without publicity,
terrorism would have no outlet or voice which
leads to the question, does the media aid in the
construction of terrorism? This research plan will
outline how this question could be answered
and will focus on British television journalism
only; the BBC in particular. The BBC’s Editorial
Guidelines address that acts of terror“should be
Keytexts
web survey
methodology
Reference List
Altheide, David. "The Mass Media And Terrorism". N.p., 2007. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.
Altheide, David L. Terror Post 9/11 And The Media. New York: Peter Lang, 2009. Print.
Barnett, Brooke, and Amy Reynolds. Terrorism And The Press. New York: Peter Lang,
2009. Print.
BBC Radio 4,. Terror and the Oxygen of Publicity. N.p., 2014. Web. 9 Jan. 2016.
Bbc.co.uk,. "BBC - Editorial Guidelines - War, Terror - Terror". N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Jan.
2016.
Dispatches,. Spnning Terror. Channel 4, 2012. TV programme.
Galtung, J., and M. Ruge. "Structuring and Selecting News." The Manufacture of News.
Eds. Stanley Cohen and Jock Young. London: Constable, 1973. Web. 29 Dec 2015.
Gerhards, Jurgen, and Mike S Schafer. "International Terrorism, Domestic Coverage?
How Terrorist Attacks Are Presented In The News Of CNN, Al Jazeera, The BBC, And
ARD". the International Communication Gazette. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.
Jetter, Michael. Blowing Things Up: The Effect Of Media Attention On Terrorism.
Medellín, Colombia: N.p., 2015. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.
Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006. Print.
Kavoori, Anandam P, and Todd Fraley. Media, Terrorism, And Theory. Lanham, Md.:
Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Print.
Lumbaca, Sonise, and David H Gray. "The Media As An Enabler For Acts Of Terrorism".
Global Security Studies 2.1 (2016): n. pag. Web. 29 Dec. 2015.
Munnich, Stuart. We Must Starve Terrorists Of The Oxygen Of Publicity. 2016. Web. 29
Dec. 2015.
Nacos, Brigitte Lebens, and Oscar Torres-Reyna. Fueling Our Fears. Lanham, Md.:
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007. Print.
Norris, Pippa, Montague Kern, and Marion R Just. Framing Terrorism. New York:
Routledge, 2003. Print.
Post, Jerrold M. The Mind Of The Terrorist. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Print.
Viera, John D. Terrorism at the BBC: The IRA on British Television. Journal of Film and
Video: 40 (4). University of Illinois Press: 28-36. 1988. Web: http://msbeenen.wikispac-
es.com/file/view/Terrorism+at+the+BBC.pdf
Terry, Herbert A. Television And Terrorism: Professionalism Not Quite The Answer.
Print.
"The Secret War On Terror". BBC 1, 2011. TV programme.
Walsh, James. Media Attention To Terrorist Attacks: Causes And Consequences. North
Carolina: N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Jan. 2016.
“We must
starve terrorists
of the ‘oxygen
of publicity,’”
Thatcher, 1985
reported quickly, accurately, fully and
responsibly”. However contemporary terrorist
activity is purposely designed to meet the needs
of television news to gain the reports. Their
attacks fulfil violence, intensity, unambiguity and
rarity which, according to Galtung and Ruge
(1965) are the key ingredients for a crisp and
newsworthy story. Some may argue terrorists
provide exactly what the media’s news agenda
reads and the media then fuel and spread their
publicity; both equally desiring attention from a
mass audience. The statement made by former UK
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that,“We must
starve terrorists of the‘oxygen of publicity’”, is
supported by the UK government today; however
with advanced forms of communication and
increased availability of media, it has become
much easier for terrorists to use the media for its
own purposes.
Terrorism at the BBC: The IRA on British Television - John
David Viera
The academic journal looks into the relationship between
terrorism and television in relation to the British
government’s responses to media coverage of the terrorist
activity of the Irish Republican Army. The journal focuses on
a BBC documentary and its proposed broadcast titled“At
the Edge of the Union”, which shows an interview with an
IRA leader, Martin McGuinness. Viera argues that
documentary techniques presented through media outlets
like the BBC may fuel terroristic actions.
Fueling Our Fears - Brigitte Nacos
This book focuses on the effects terrorist coverage has on
its audiences and how the media fuels fear amongst
society, thus fuelling the aims terrorism desires. Nacos
allows the reader to understand how the media’s portrayal
of attacks can create stereotypes and harm the reputation
of certain ethnic groups; Muslim and Arab Americans in
particular. Fueling Our Fears is an academic piece of work
that looks on the other side of the coin and how the media
is quite possibly its own worst enemy.
International terrorism, domestic coverage? How
terrorist attacks are presented in the news of CNN, Al
Jazeera, the BBC, and ARD - Jurgen Gerhards and Mike S
Schafer
This research article analyses the similarities and differences
between different news channels’coverage on four terrorist
incidents and the amount of attention paid to the attacks.
The study examines news broadcasts from both sides of the
alleged conflict between the Arab and‘Western’worlds and
focuses on television coverage only. The article notes that
all four news channels share a similarity in that each
certainly add to and help terrorism.
“Terrorists plan
their operations in a manner
that will shock, impress and
intimidate, ensuring that their acts
are sufficiently daring and violent to
capture the attention of the media...
”Hoffman, 2006
•This quantitative research method analyses
the content of media to determine the
representation of any main themes.
•For my research I would need to access a
number of BBC broadcasts made on terrorist
attacks between a certain time gap. For
example 2005 to 2010. My findings would
then be compared to the number of terrorist
attacks that followed soon after any report
was made.
•I would need to look at The Global Terrorism
Database which is an open-source database
online to check the increase of attacks
between my time period and the density of
these also.
•I would use similar methods as Michael
Jetter’s research mentioned in my key texts.
Created on a larger scale, Jetter analysed over
60,000 attacks and its coverage and found a
clear link between these and attacks that
followed.
•To reach the answer“yes”to my
research question I would need
to find a similar link but with
broadcasts from the BBC only.
Blowing Things Up: The Effect of Media Attention on
Terrorism - Michael Jetter
This most recent research study analyses over 60,000
terrorist attacks and reveals an intimate link between
media coverage and the occurrence of further attacks in
the upcoming weeks. Jetter advises that from his
findings the media should not sensationalise coverage
as it’s possible this can encourage further activities and
increase the number of victims unnecessarily. The paper
does not suggest that terrorist attacks should not be
covered, but reported on in a way that does not serve
its creators.
The Mind Of The Terrorist: The Psychology of
Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda - Jerrold Post
Post’book explains how the terrorist mind works and
how the media could help combat terrorism more
effectively. He suggests that“hatred has been bred in
the bone”and a free press helps to fuel and continue
terrorist stereotypes and spread fear.
Media Attention to Terrorist Attacks: Causes and
Consequences - James Igoe Walsh
This research brief recognises that most terrorist
attacks receive little attention from major media
outlets, but those such as 9/11 and The London
Bombings received heavy coverage. James Walsh
analyses what influences the decisions made by the
media to devote attention to terrorist attacks and how
coverage can be prominent to sympathisers and
supporters.
The Media as an Enabler for Acts of Terrorism -
Sonise Lumbaca and David H. Gray
Lumbaca and Gray’s paper analyses the relationship
between terrorism and the media and argues that
media functions as a pure enabler for terrorism. They
describe the media as the“toolkits”of terrorists, acting
as an instrument for them, instilling fear within a
community and spreading their messages.
STRENGTHS&WEAKNESSES?STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
•Web surveys, a second quantitative use of
methodology, is a cost effective way of
collecting large amounts of information
without having to pay for interviewers,
paper supplies or postage, and does not
require separate data entry for responses to
be processed.
•I would create a free web survey online and
distribute this across different UK websites
and social media. Web surveys have the
ability to gather several thousand responses
within hours if they are posted on the right
and relevant websites.
•I would be interested in hearing what the
general public think about my research
question and their opinion on media and
terrorism as consumers of British media
themselves.
•It would gather information efficiently and
on a larger scale compared with other
methods
•A web survey has the capacity
to find me general opinion
whilst content analysis will
search the facts to hopefully
match and back the gathered
responses up.
+This research project would dive into a very current and
relevant topic in today’s society that needs to be addressed.
I believe it would reveal and answer questions that many
people have but do not know the full answers to.
+The study would focus on British broadcasting as opposed
to broadcasting of terrorism internationally. I believe British
people would be interested in finding out if the BBC adds to
terrorism and how they do this.
From conducting this research and following the plan as outlined, I believe I would reach the potential
conclusion that British broadcasting certainly adds to terrorism and keeps it alive but is certainly not the only
news outlet to fuel it. I believe I would however reach the answer that the media collectively fuel terrorism and
by reading over my key texts I gage this to be a“group effort”and the media internationally aid in the
construction of fear and further attacks. Altheide (2007) notes that today the media are being more careful and
use certain language and framing to follow the guidelines of ‘starving the terrorists of oxygen of publicity’. He
says news channels that are impartial and objective, like the BBC, use certain words in replace of“terrorist”to
create less panic and make the public aware of events but in a“lighter tone”. By selectively using language,
Altheide argues the media have the ability to reduce fear whilst delivering reports, remaining a free press and
serving the public interest. I believe my research would find that the BBC and other media outlets are currently
taking the steps towards competing for‘the oxygen’and ultimately depriving terrorists of their goals and means
associated and used through today’s news media, the fourth estate.
•I must be sensitive about the questions I pose in my web
survey. I would be impartial and unbiased and word my
questions carefully so that I do not sway my respondents
to a certain answer.
•I would also need to choose questions that do not cause
offence, create harm, or instil fear. They would need to be
very basic and not too in-depth. In the event that a victim
or survivor of terrorism views and answers my web
survey, I would not want to precipitate any forms of
unsettlement.
-The topic is extremely widespread and reported on every
day therefore it would be time consuming to obtain a
certain number of BBC reports and accurately research
follow-up attacks after this to find a link.
-In terms of using a web survey for this research, it would
not provide enough responses to be able to generalise
the UK’s opinion on my question as a whole. I would only
retrieve answers from a certain number of people.
journalism
Emma Lawford